We have finished the first round of reference group meetings.
In the framework of the #ACCESS project, reference groups organised along the Hungarian-Slovak border aim to explore the unique dynamics of cities whose functional urban spaces extend beyond the national border. These areas are hotspots for cross-border mobility and interaction and are therefore key to the project’s objectives.
In the first round, we organized meetings in cities: Györ, Esztergom, Putnok, Balassagyarmat, Sátoraljaújhely (Hungary), Komárno, Lučenec, Košice, Bratislava (Slovakia).
The annual conference of the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), was held for the first time in Slovakia in Košice in early November 2023. The AEBR, an influential organization in Brussels, has about 100 members representing various border regions in Europe. The current President is Mr Karl-Heinz Lambertz, a Belgian politician who was President of the EU Committee of the Regions. The Secretary-General since 2006 is Martin Guillermo Ramiréz from Spain. The four-day program of the event included the seventh continuation of the School of Transboundary Studies, the AEBR General Assembly, the Annual Conference, and a study trip to Uzhhorod. The first day was held in the historical hall of the Rector’s Office of UPJŠ in cooperation with the Faculty of Law of UPJŠ. The annual conference, attended by around 120 international guests, this year focused on labor market issues, legal obstacles, and Ukraine’s integration into the EU. The AEBR conference was supported by the Košice Self-Governing Region, which was confirmed in his speech by Vice-Chairman Karol Pataky. The last day of the conference, which was dedicated to Ukraine’s integration into the European Union and the study trip to Uzhhorod, was supported by the Visegrad Fund. Both financially and with the participation of its director, Peter Mares. This part of the event was co-organized by CESCI Budapest, headed by Professor Zsuzsana Fejes and Secretary General Gyula Ocskay.
On 17 and 18 October 2023, a conference for the Central and Eastern Europe INTERREG programs was held in Budapest. The conference was organized by the non-profit organization “Sechényi Programme Office”. The Director of CESCI-Carpathia Mr. Rudolf Bauer together with the Secretary General and representative of the lead partner of the CESCI Budapest project Mr. Gyula Ocsaky presented our #ACCESS project at the conference.
On 14 September 2023 at 10:00 a.m., the Kick-off conference of the #ACCESS project took place at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Košice. The aim of the #ACCESS project is to facilitate cross-border flows between Slovakia and Hungary, to facilitate daily commuting and access to cross-border services. The project will run from 2023 to 2029 and will take important steps to remove legal and administrative barriers. More information can be found on the following website: CESCI.
On May 22, 2023, a Cooperation Agreement was signed with the Faculty of Law of the University of Pavel Jozef Šafárik in Košice, represented by the Dean of the Faculty JUDr. Miroslav Štrkolec within the project “Promotion of legal accessibility across the Slovak-Hungarian border”, financed by the Slovak-Hungarian cooperation program INTERREG. Pictured from left: Nicolette Olleová, Rudolf Bauer, Miroslav Štrkolec, Alena Krunková.
On 14 April 2023, we signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the European Association for Territorial Cooperation Via Carpathia Košice with the aim of supporting the development and improvement of the quality and all aspects of the life of people living in the border regions. Via Carpatia will participate in the project “Promotion of legal accessibility across the Slovak-Hungarian border – #Access”. In the picture on the right the director of the EGTC Via Carpatia Ing. Julianna Máté, PhD. and the director of the association RNDr. Rudolf Bauer, PhD.
On 23 February, together with CESCI Budapest, we submitted an application for the non-competitive targeted call CFP-HUSK-2301 in the INTERREG SKHU program. The aim of the project will be the elimination/reduction of legal and administrative barriers at the Slovak-Hungarian border. In the first phase, we will collect information mainly from people living in the border area about the current obstacles that make their daily life difficult. In the second part, we will work together with legal experts to find solutions to remove these obstacles. This project is a project of strategic importance within the INTERREG VI-A Hungary-Slovakia program in the programming period 2021-2027.
The signing of the Memorandum between the Law Faculty of Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice and CESCI-Carpathia. The director of the association Mr. Rudolf Bauer (on the left) signed a memorandum about cooperation in the upcoming project #Access with the dean of the Faculty Mr. Miroslav Štrkolec (in the center). The responsible person from the faculty side will be Mrs. Alena Krunková (on the right), Head of the Department of Constitutional Law and Administrative Law. The main issue of the project is to eliminate or mitigate the legal and administrative obstacles on the Slovak-Hungarian border. The project is a strategic project in the priority axis 3 of the Slovak-Hungarian program of cooperation INTERREG 2021-2027. The lead partner of the project is CESCI Budapest.
