The “Handbook on Cross-border Energy Communities” features some good practices and examples of cross-border energy initiatives. They can serve as inspiration for communities with similar settings and problems.

Štúrovo is the southernmost town of Slovakia, situated on the river Danube. It is situated opposite the city of Esztergom in Hungary. Connected by the Mária Valéria Bridge the two cities form a cross-border urban area. Since 2020, a new form of public transport has been established in this area, which contributes to the connections of the two border towns. The public bicycle sharing system called ‘Maria Valéria Bike’ was jointly created by the municipalities of Esztergom and Štúrovo in the framework of the Interreg V-A Slovakia-Hungary Cooperation Programme between 2017 and 2020, and co-financed from the state budgets of the Hungarian and Slovak Republic.

Residents of Štúrovo and Esztergom and tourists are now able to rent and use bicycles in both cities and cross the border. 14 bicycle storage stations were set up in Štúrovo and Esztergom of which, six are located in Štúrovo and eight in Esztergom. The public bicycle sharing system includes 60 conventional and 45 electric bicycles. The common system allows residents of both cities, as well as tourists, to remove the rented bike from any dock and return it to any station. The stations are located near the frequented sites in both cities. After winning the public procurement process, T-Systems Hungary Zrt. with its subcontractor Neuzer Kft. is the service provider of the bike sharing system.

Link: https://mariavaleriabike.eu  

Access the handbook here: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information-sources/publications/studies/2025/handbook-on-cross-border-energy-communities_en