The signed metropolitan act paves the way for the creation of the Pomeranian Metropolitan Union. Joint planning of transportation and investments, additional funding, and the ability to pursue a coherent spatial policy are expected to translate into a higher quality of life for residents and the harmonious development of the entire metropolitan area.
It’s official. After more than a decade of efforts, a metropolitan union will be established in Pomerania, covering nearly 1.6 million residents across 61 local governments. On July 2, President Karol Nawrocki signed the metropolitan act, which had been eagerly awaited in Pomerania. Earlier, in the spring of 2026, the act had been passed by parliament and sent to the president for his signature, but its fate remained uncertain. To date, Poland has only one metropolitan area — the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis (GZM) , comprising 41 municipalities — established under the Act of March 9, 2017.
First, transportation
Thanks to the law, municipalities, cities, and counties can more easily plan investments, public transportation connections, and regional promotion. Furthermore, the creation of a metropolitan area involves securing additional funds that currently go to the state budget.
One of the greatest strengths of this Act is its partnership-based nature. Every local government, regardless of population size, will have a real say in the most important decisions. This approach builds trust and shows that the metropolitan area is being created with all residents in mind—including, and perhaps above all, those who come from smaller towns
— commented Eunika Niemc, mayor of the Kosakowo municipality.
Metropolitan Act: What Are the Next Steps?
The Act provides for a special procedure to transform the Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot Metropolitan Area Association into a metropolitan union. “ We are retaining our legal status but changing our organizational form ,” explains Dr. Jakub Szlachetko, a lawyer, chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Institute, and an expert who worked on the draft metropolitan law. “ This process will take several months. The Pomeranian Metropolitan Union itself will most likely be established on January 1, 2027
— adds Dr. Jakub Szlachetko.
Only then will substantive work begin, and residents will start to feel the effects of the law.
Within 12 months, the plan is to integrate public transportation first in the core of the metropolitan area—that is, Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot—as well as to launch metropolitan passenger services that will connect the entire metropolitan area. “In my view, public transit is the task that must be addressed first; residents have long been waiting for fare integration, a single ticket, and new connections within the metropolitan area
— explains Szlachetko.
Funding for these initiatives will come from a percentage of the personal income tax (PIT) revenue collected from residents living in the metropolitan area. As a result, several hundred million zlotys that currently flow into the state budget will remain in Pomerania each year.
During parliamentary deliberations, several amendments proposed by the president were introduced to the original draft bill. These include, among other things, a provision stating that 40 percent of the funds allocated for the metropolitan area’s own tasks will go to rural and urban municipalities that are not cities with county rights.
“Revenue will increase over three years until full funding is achieved,” explains Jakub Szlachetko. “In 2027, we will receive 150 million zlotys; a year later, 250 million zlotys; and two years later, 500 million zlotys.” And starting in 2030, we will transition to the target funding model, which means calculating the allocation based on the 0.49 percent revenue-sharing rule applied to residents’ income tax.”
