Year of publication: 2024

Language: hungarian, slovak, english

Author: CESCI, CESCI Carpathia

The #ACCESS survey report

The summarising report of the questionnaire survey organised in the framework of the #ACCESS project has been completed by summer 2024. The questionnaire survey on five topics was launched in autumn 2023, with the aim of identifying the legal and administrative obstacles in different cross-border activities experienced by people living in border areas.

In order to successfully collect information, the questionnaires were mainly available online, but also promoted in several ways: paper leaflets were distributed in relevant locations; an online campaign was launched; direct emails and social media platforms were used; and a two-round prize draw was launched among those who filled the questionnaires.

After the end of the survey in January, the processing of the data started, the result of which is the summary report.A total of 1 648 questionnaires were completed by respondents on both sides of the Hungarian-Slovak border. After data clarification, 1 609 valid responses formed the basis for the evaluation.

 Based on the non-representative sample, interesting graphs have been produced about:

In addition, for each questionnaire, a graph was made about the overview of the difficulties reported in relation to the topic area.

The questionnaires show that border region residents have experienced difficulties in all of the pre-defined areas, although in different proportions, and that some of these difficulties are obstacles of legal nature:

  • Some of the most frequently mentioned obstacles come from the lack of public transport . New services, harmonisation of timetables and simplification of the operation of means of transport would allow the development of cross-border public transport.

  • There are uncertainties in the areas of official administration (e.g. obtaining social security and documents, accessing legislation and municipal regulations, etc.), employment (resolving double taxation, starting a business, etc.) and invoicing .

  • Closely related to the issue of social security are the obstacles registered in the field of health , which mainly focus on the treatment of patients across borders, the cross-border movement of ambulances and the acquisition of medical certificates.

  • Responses received indicate that in some cases there are conditions (e.g. possession of an address card) to access market-based services. There were also several indications from respondents about obstacles encountered in banking transactions (accessing credit, installment payments), product purchases (use of discounts or different rules on product guarantees) and currency exchange (euro-forint exchange rate).

  • Language problems are present in all the areas covered.

The identification and understanding of the barriers listed in the report will be further continued in the framework of the #ACCESS project, complemented by the results of other information gathering methods. This will provide the basis for a list of specific barriers and difficulties to be addressed by the project.