The second round of consultations of the reference group for the project called #ACCESS – Promoting legal accessibility in the Slovak-Hungarian border region, funded by the INTERREG VI-A Hungary-Slovakia programme, took place in Komárno. The aim of the workshop was to provide information and project ideas for developments requiring joint planning between the twin towns and to identify obstacles to cross-border integration. Building on the results of last year’s event, the workshop sought to identify legal obstacles and provide ideas for addressing current challenges by sharing examples of good practice.
The event began with welcoming speeches by Béla Keszegh, Mayor of Komárno (SK), and Bence Vajda, Deputy Mayor of Komárom (HU), who highlighted the advantages offered by the Schengen area and referred to the shared history of the two cities and their potential.
The professional programme began with a presentation by Mátyás Jaschitz, co-director of CESCI, who introduced the #ACCESS project and the results of the previous workshop. As part of this, more than twenty European good practices relevant to the two Komároms were presented, among which the ZOAST cross-border health zone network operating on the French-Belgian border and the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) title and programme series jointly won by Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy attracted the most interest from participants.
The workshop provided an opportunity to review the relationship between the two cities by sector and to formulate project ideas. During the consultation, the following topics were discussed: extending the services of the hospital in Komárno across the border, the recultivation of brownfield sites (specifically the areas along the Danube), joint management of green waste, the creation of a joint machine park, the coordination of tourist offerings, the development of transport links, the exploration of opportunities offered by the port, and the submission of a joint European Cultural Capital application.
The most important topics were the interconnection of healthcare systems, the utilisation of the advanced oncology and obstetrics capacities of the hospital in Komárno, and the provision of cross-border healthcare for Hungarian patients. In addition, a new project idea has emerged in connection with the collection of green waste, which is already regulated in Slovakia. This development concept would enable knowledge transfer, the uniform collection of green waste and the creation of a biogas plant to generate energy from it.
The participants also agreed that the historical heritage and fortification system of the two cities have much greater tourist potential than is currently being exploited. However, in order to exploit this potential, joint marketing, new accommodation facilities, renovation of the built environment and the provision of additional functions for the fortification system are necessary.
These development goals would be easier to achieve with a successful, jointly submitted European Cultural Capital application, which would also increase their international visibility. Thanks to the workshop, a new opportunity has opened up for the two city administrations to meet, coordinate future development goals and discuss existing challenges and difficulties.
The event marked the end of the second round of reference group consultations organised within the framework of #ACCESS, but CESCI will continue to provide professional assistance in promoting the ideas put forward.
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.
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.
Brief overview of the #ACCESS project developments during the first months of...
