The cross-border employment action plan for the Cserehát microregion is coming to an end

From 2019 to July 2022, the Cross-border Employment Action Plan project for the Cserehát microregion in the Slovak-Hungarian border area was implemented as part of the Interreg V-A Slovakia-Hungary Cooperation Programme. The main goal of the action plan was to increase employment in the Cserehát region by supporting local production. The activities were mainly focused on the support of human capital through the support of the production infrastructure to the creation of a regional brand and marketing.

The total budget of the action plan is 4,417,494.36 euros, 15 partners participated in the projects and 12 new jobs were created thanks to the action plan. This project is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

As part of the action plan, seven projects were implemented, which naturally followed each other, creating a synergistic effect in the supported activities.

The first two projects were devoted to the support of entrepreneurs from the territory. The cross-border cooperation of partners improved the quality, competitiveness and popularity of local products. From the project Development of local + products 1 was implemented by BARTRANZ, s.r.o. pumpkin oil press in Buzica (SK), Dsupin János e.v. fruit juice factory in Gagyapát (HU) and Cserehát-Völgy Kft. seed roaster in Gagyapáti (HU). The ERDF contribution for this project amounted to €455,015.94. From the project Development of local + products 2 Tesz-Team Kft. (HU) built a sauerkraut processing factory in Hidasnémet and “Agentúra GES” spol. Ltd. (SK) created space for the production of confectionery products from local products in Košice. The ERDF contribution for this project was €1,065,899.00.

The third and fourth projects focused on improving the quality of human capital. The partners of the Through renovation to the education project improved the infrastructure of professional educational institutions. In the city of Encs (HU), the organization Abaúji Területfejleszetsi Önkormányzati Szötségés improved the conditions of adult education by creating a training center, and modern laboratory equipment was provided in the Secondary Vocational School of Agrotechnics in Moldava nad Bodvou (SK). The ERDF contribution amounts to €253,430.00. As part of the project Find your way to the labour market, the European grouping of territorial cooperation Via Carpatia implemented training for the long-term unemployed aimed at increasing the level of education and increasing the chance to apply on the labor market. At the end, workshops were held where the participants were presented with job opportunities. The ERDF contribution for this project was €92,725.53.

As part of another Meet the local needs project, some missing high-quality urban functions were replaced by the creation of a training center in Gagyvendég (HU) and the creation of a cross-border network of local markets in the municipalities of Buzica (SK), Moldava nad Bodvou (SK), Encs (HU), Hidasnémeti ( HU) and Gagyvendégi (HU), which increased the general quality of life of people living in the region. The ERDF contribution for this project amounted to €1,345,571.00.

In the case of the project Build and promote local image Jövő Útja Nonprofit Kft. (HU) and the University of Economics in Bratislava (SK) created a new regional brand and an internet application with a database of local producers. They also organized 5 cross-border markets and a regional Agro EXPO. The ERDF contribution amounted to €131,777.84.

Coordination of all projects of the action plan and its wide promotion with the help of various communication tools was ensured by the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Via Carpatia as part of the Coordination and communication project. The ERDF contribution for this project was €185,344.00.

We wish the residents of the micro-region, as well as the general public, many good experiences with the project’s outputs.