On 4 May 2026, an online expert consultation was held within the framework of the #ACCESS project on the possibilities of extending Eastern Slovakia’s public transport tariff system to Hungary. The meeting was attended by CESCI, CESCI Carpathia, IDS Východ, and an external expert invited to analyse the topic.

The aim of the consultation was to review the legal, financial and organisational conditions under which a cross-border transport solution could be developed to support everyday mobility in the border region, commuting, and easier access to services.

During the consultation, external expert István Kövesdi presented the main findings of his study. He explained that tickets sold on international services generally do not include VAT, while fares and discounts applied within domestic transport networks are governed by the tax rules of the respective country. A further limitation is the prohibition of cabotage, which means that international services may only be used for domestic journeys under specific conditions.

The expert summary also pointed out that there are several examples of cross-border ticketing systems in Europe, although these are typically one-day tickets allowing unlimited travel within a given region. Passes valid for longer periods are less common, but not without precedent. One possible solution discussed was for the competent authorities and service providers of the countries concerned to agree on the fares applicable on cross-border lines, the handling of VAT, and the method of sharing ticket revenues.

The Slovak partners participating in the consultation were initially open to the proposal, while noting that they would be able to provide substantive feedback after reviewing the study in detail. The participants also agreed that it would be useful to gather further information on the operation of the Vienna transport system, which could serve as a valuable model in several respects.

As a next step, once the new Hungarian transport administration structure has been established, an expert-level meeting is planned with the involvement of the competent ministries of the two countries. In line with the objectives of the #ACCESS project, the consultation may contribute to identifying and addressing the legal and administrative obstacles that currently hinder everyday transport connections in border regions.