The background material was prepared for the reference group meeting held on January 29, 2024, focusing on the Šahy-Balassagyarmat area within the #ACCESS project, which aims to promote legal accessibility in the Slovak-Hungarian border region. This session convened mayors and specialists to deliberate on cross-border cooperation and integration challenges and opportunities, scrutinising cross-border movements, legal and administrative obstacles, and the socio-economic impacts on inhabitants and enterprises in the border vicinity. The document served as a basis for this comprehensive discussions, detailing the unique position of the Šahy-Balassagyarmat axis in the border area’s functional urban dynamics and outlining the primary characteristics of the cross-border urban influence zones. Furthermore, it addresses potential fields for cross-border integration and cooperation, emphasising opportunities for enhanced bilateral relations.