Proposal on a Visegrad Four level mechanism designed to eliminate cross-border obstacles is now available. The proposal has been drafted within the framework of the project titled 'Legal Accessibility among the Visegrad Countries' supported by the International Visegrad Fund. The project partners (CESCI as lead partner from Hungary, CESCI Carpathia from Slovakia, the Masaryk University from the Czech Republic, the Centre for European Regional and Local Studies of the University of Warsaw from Poland) with the involvement of external experts delivered a study presenting three options along by which a common mechanism of obstacle management can be developed at the level of Visegrad Four. The main motivation was given by the Nordic Council that the representatives of the partners and the partner countries visited in April, 2018. Based on the experiences gained during the study visit and the analysis of the legislative systems of the four countries, the experts drafted the proposal which reflects the new ECBM initiative taken by the European Commission.

The three options represent three different level of integration.

(1) The first model targets consultative cooperation where no new organs are established. Taking into account that accordingo to the draft ECBM Regulation every V4 country has to set up their own Cross-border Coordination Point (CBCP), the model contains a proposal on coordination activities between these contact points and on a platform registering the obstacles.

(2) The second solution is more advanced: the planned V4 Mobility Forum would be built upon the existing and operating structures and models of the V4 cooperation when creating a new organ. The permanent members of the Forum would be the 4 CBCPs, the representative of the actual V4 Presidency and the representative of the International Visegrad Fund's Secretariat which would be developed further in order to perform the tasks related to the operation of the Mobility Forum. Further representatives of the ministries concerned would be invited to the meetings as non-permanent members.

(3) The most complicated structure would be developed within the third model where – following the example of the Nordic cooperation – further organs and bodies would also be set up, like the Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Ministers and an independent Secretariat. In this model, the Mobility Council would involve the 4 CBCPs, one member of the Council of Ministers as well as the Secretary General of the V4 cooperation.

For further details, please visit the project site.

The project itself continues on with consultations with the representatives of the four governments; and, based on the results of these consultations, with the elaboration of a Handbook orientating national governments on how to set up and operate the proposed common mechanism. The closing conference of the project will be held in Košice (Slovakia) in June 2019, where the Handbook will be presented.