The compilation of the bilateral treaty has been managed by the two national authorities and rescue services, based on the results of the preparatory steps undertaken by the #ACCESS partners.

The partners together with the hospitals of Komárno and Esztergom have started preparing a pilot project of testing cross-border health services. Several in-person expert meetings were held, where it was discussed how the hospitals could compensate for the lack of a similar institution on the other side of the border.

The foundation of the Novohrad-Nógrád Geopark EGTC was continued. Partners prepared and moderated an expert group meeting of the prospective founding members, coordinated the approval process of the two founding documents (Convention and Statutes) in Hungary and Slovakia, and the label’s transfer from the current owners to the EGTC.

Building on earlier expert consultations, discussions were held with the Nature Conservation Department of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and with national parks along the Hungarian-Slovak border region, focusing on two of the most threatening invasive species: the Asian hornet and the nutria. CESCI Carpathia also prepared an interview with the Slovak lead partner developing the Carpathian Red List within the BioRegio CEE project, to explore links between ongoing initiatives and potential cross-border action. Further ministerial consultations are underway regarding nutria hunting in Hungary to clarify the regulatory framework and next steps. CESCI also contacted the Hungarian Standards Institution to assess whether standard pictograms could be used in the border region to warn forest visitors about dangerous situations and obstacles when continuing excursions across the border.

The stakeholder dialogue and project development was strengthened to support innovative sales methods and address obstacles faced by local producers. CESCI participated in sector events with the Ministry of Agriculture, consulted producers on practical barriers, and discussed agrotourism strategy with relevant professional institutions. In parallel, CESCI joined preparatory discussions for several INTERREG HUSK project proposals coordinated by EGTCs, and supported applicants by sharing good examples of innovative cross-border sales. CESCI also engaged with research and professional partners to explore alternative food networks and new sales channels, and conducted interviews on practical solutions such as invoicing and e-receipts to enable modern, small-scale sales models.

#ACCESS addressed obstacles rooted in information gaps. The partners launched data collection on 2 topics: education and employment. The compilation of information packs is in progress.

Two interviews and a bilateral expert group meeting were organised by the project partners. The participating experts highlighted the need for joint action in terms of the different training and administration systems (permits, driving licences) and missing liability insurances. In addition, during water tour guide training, mutual information should be provided on nature conservation and navigation rules.