President Piotr Uszok as the Metropolis leader

The Silesian Metropolitan Union has been officially created. The first tasks include promotion and fight for big investors.

The efforts to create the Union have been made for years, but it was only recently that all districts adopted the statute and the Office of Internal Affairs and Administration registered the Silesian Metropolitan Union.

The Metropolis, with a population of over 2 million, will be more visible on the map of Europe. It will use the potential of its people and region more effectively, because big urban organisms attract more investments.

The presidents unanimously decided that the leader of the Silesian Metropolitan Union will be Piotr Uszok, President of Katowice. He emphasises that every city will retain its identity. The first tasks of the Union will concern promotion of the region and preparation of operation strategies for the Union. Uszok also announced his plans to apply for European Union subsidies for creating an e-card by means of which inhabitants of the Silesian Metropolitan Union will be able to pay for using the public transport and, in the future, also for car parks, etc. “We want to modernise tram lines and we’ll do our best so that matches of Euro 2012 will be played in Chorzów,” plans Uszok. The office of the Union will soon open in Katowice.

Będzin, Knurów and Czeladź do not belong to the Union yet because these towns are not municipal districts. They will be able to join Silesia once an act on the Silesian Agglomeration is adopted. Work on this act has already started.

The presidents admit that the name “Silesian Metropolitan Union” is not good and it is going to change.

Signing the Declaration of the Silesian Metropolitan Union