Brief overview of the #ACCESS project developments during the second half of 2024

12 February 2025

Brief overview of the #ACCESS project developments during the second half of 2024

12 February 2025

The #ACCESS project has made significant strides in the second half of 2024. Here’s an overview of the project’s key achievements and activities.

1. Stakeholder engagement and reference group meetings

Stakeholder consultation has been a cornerstone of the #ACCESS project. In the second half of 2024, the project partners organised the second round of reference group meetings in various locations, including Ipolytarnóc, Rajka, Kráľovsky Chlmec, and Hidasnémeti. These meetings focused on critical topics such as:

Tourism and integrated land management planning
The impact of the new VOLVO factory on the labour market
Cross-border public transport integration and tariff systems

2. Solution gateway and expert support

The solution gateway, an essential component of the project, continued to operate. The help desk service, accessible via the project website, remained active, offering expert support and responding promptly to any inquiries. The obstacle database was regularly updated with new cases and expert responses, helping to address issues faced by the cross-border community. Additionally, the project team began gathering European best practices that could be applied to the Hungarian-Slovakian cross-border region, which will be published shortly.

3. Addressing cross-border obstacles

In this reporting period, several significant obstacles were actively managed:

Emergency health services:
A key expert group meeting was held in Bratislava with representatives from Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary to discuss the development of a cross-border emergency services agreement. This collaboration drew inspiration from the successful Austrian-Czech model, leading to a technical workshop in January 2025 to define the conditions for cross-border service provision.
Environmental and forestry challenges:
Expert consultations, legal analyses, and collaborative efforts started to overcome environmental and forestry-related obstacles. A meeting held in November 2024 was dedicated to these topics.
Public transport integration:
The project focused on the design of an integrated public transport system in Eastern Slovakia, especially in light of the new VOLVO factory in Valaliky. Efforts to harmonise spatial plans and improve cross-border transport services were key highlights.
Tourism cooperation:
One of the project’s major initiatives was to help the establishment of a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) to unify the Novohrad-Nógrád Geopark. Key stakeholders met in September 2024 to draft foundational documents for the EGTC, with plans to finalise them in 2025.
Cross-border residents’ challenges:
The project also focused on the unique issues faced by cross-border residents in the Bratislava region. A proposal for the BAUM initiative was supported to be developed, aiming to improve public transport, healthcare, and employment services. This initiative was presented in Rajka in October 2024 and received positive feedback, leading to a project proposal in November 2024.

4. Promotional efforts and awareness campaign

Raising awareness of the #ACCESS project’s goals and progress has been an ongoing effort. A dedicated website and active social media presence (including Facebook and LinkedIn) helped keep stakeholders informed. By the end of 2024, the project’s Facebook page had nearly 5,300 followers.

The project was also showcased at significant events, such as the Hungarian EU Presidency’s “Art of Cooperation” event in Budapest. There, the project partners organised two sessions on managing cross-border obstacles, drawing nearly 100 participants and further elevating the project’s visibility within EU initiatives. In addition, a video highlighting the key learning outcomes of an international conference was shared on social media, reaching over 24,000 views.

Next steps

The project continues with the organisation of the second round of reference group meetings as well as the expert group meetings, which will lead to the finalisation of the selected cases. The case descriptions will also be shared soon on the project website.

Building partnership!

The project is financially supported by the European Union,
within the framework of the Interreg Hungary – Slovakia Programme.

For more information visit www.skhu.eu.

Building partnership!

The project is financially supported by the European Union,
within the framework of the Interreg Hungary – Slovakia Programme.

For more information visit www.skhu.eu.