Activities

The #ACCESS project offers a wide spectrum of activities to understand, to unfold and to properly reflect on the obstacles of the border area and to improve the conditions for cross-border mobility such as systematic identification of the existing obstacles experienced by the citizens; analysis of the legal background of the obstacles; creation of platforms for exchange between the competent authorities; elaboration of projects addressing the obstacles; operation of a permanent help desk collecting and providing information for border people, project owners and authorities on obstacles, solutions and conditions for cross-border mobility.

Below an overview of the activities to be implemented by the two partners are provided. Please note that the target value related to the given activity has been marked in parentheses, and the current percentage of progress has been displayed in bars.

1. Core activities

Core activities of the project are divided into two basic groups of interventions.

The first one is called ‘obstacle monitoring’ which involves the systematic collection of obstacles encountered by the border citizens through surveys, interviews, an online information help desk and workshops of territorial reference groups to be set up in the cross-border urban zone. The legal background is researched through interviews with the authorities and the analysis of relevant legal acts.
The second group of interventions is ‘obstacle management’ that contains numerous activities, like set-up and operation of expert groups involving relevant authorities who have knowledge and competence related to the sectoral field affected by the identified obstacle (interviews, workshops, study tours); compilation of existing best practices related to the identified obstacles (database used for adaptation and information); elaboration of textual recommendations for amending the relevant provisions – when necessary; development of project proposals enabling the elimination of the obstacles, for instance, with the support of the cooperation programme. Among the activities of the obstacle management a ‘solution gateway’ will also be developed which will include a permanently operational information and dissemination helpdesk through which the citizens may report the obstacles met, find the relevant national and EU-level legal provisions and best practices presenting possible pathways for resolving the obstacle. The database will also contain short movies portraying the legal obstacles in everyday life and video tutorials explaining the cases in an easily understandable way.

1.1 Stakeholder consultation to identify obstacles

Surveys elaborated (5)

Invitation to take part in the survey (12 000)

Respondents to the surveys (1 200)

Report on the results of the surveys in HU, EN (1)

Report on the results of the surveys in SK (1)

Interviews with national authorities (transcripts) (40)

Report on the results of the interviews in EN (1)

Report on the results of the interviews in SK (1)

Memos of the reference group meetings held in Hungary (9)

Memos of the reference group meetings held in Slovakia (9)

Summary report on the reference group meetings in HU, EN (1)

Summary report on the reference group meetings in SK (1)

1.2 Development of a solution gateway

Project website (1)

Online helpdesk (1)

Obstacle database in three languages (1)

Case descriptions in three languages (20)

Collection of European best practices (10)

Videos (short movies for citizens / tutorial videos for authorities) (10)

1.3-12 Obstacle management

Expert interviews (transcripts) in HU and SK (30)

Expert group meetings in HU and SK (20)

Study tour (4)

Study tour report (4)

In-depth legal analysis (HU/SK) (10)

Solution developed (10)

Project proposal (5)

2. Promotional activities

The project will be coupled with a massive promotion package in order to reach as many border citizens as possible. This means that the achieved information will be disseminated through online articles, social media posts and 16 bilingual billboards. All these promotion tools aim to inform border citizens on the opportunities, to draw attention to the new services and to encourage border citizens to communicate the obstacles that they face. Moreover, the project partners attempt to draw the attention of the national authorities to the specific situation at the border, hence making them more open towards the problems articulated by the citizens.

The results of the project will be summarised in three basic documents:

The first one is a project report which will give an overview on the context of the activities, describe the difficulties and the achieved results.
The second one is a methodological guide which will facilitate the replicability of the project in other border areas.
The third one is a scientific report which will concentrate on the theoretical basis of the legal obstacles, the consequences of the differences between national legal and administrative systems and the impacts of the EU legislation on cross-border reality.

Three large events are planned to be organised within the framework of the strategic project:

The first event was the kick-off conference hosted by CESCI Carpathia on 14^th of September 2023 in Košice, Slovakia. The conference underlined the importance of promoting the context of legal accessibility from the EU to the local level.
An international professional event will be dedicated to obstacle management which is planned to take place during the Hungarian EU presidency in 2024, in Budapest.
The closing conference is expected to take place in 2029 in Hungary.

2.1 Promotion of the project

Project design guide (1)

Events (70 participants per each) (3)

Project report (EN) (200)

Scientific proceedings (EN) (200)

Methodological guide (EN) (200)

2.2 Marketing of the information and dissemination help desk

Online articles (25)

Social media posts (80)

Billboards in Hungary (8)

Billboards in Slovakia (8)

2.3 Sensitisation campaign targeting the authorities

Brochures covering all 10 obstacles (HU/SK) (600)

Leaflets covering all 10 obstacles (HU/SK) (1200)

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.