Born on 21 September 1952 in Rybnik (Poland). Doctor of Sociology.Lecturer, expert, politician and social activist.
Between 1990 and 1998 Mayor of Cieszyn, founder member of the EuroregionŚląsk Cieszyński - Tesinske Slezko. In 1993-1998 Vice-Chairman of theAssociation of Polish Cities responsible for contacts with European local and regional government organisations.Vice-Chairman of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions from 1995to 2001. Chairman of the Polish delegation to the Congress of Local andRegional Authorities of the Council of Europe in 1990-1998. Between 1998 and2002 Marshal of Silesian Voivodeship. Founder member of the Marshals' Conventof Poland. In 2000-2004 Member of the Management Board of the Assembly ofEuropean Regions and Member of the National Council for Regional Policy.
Since 1979 lecturer at the University of Silesia in Katowice, then atthe University of Bielsko-Biala, University of Economics in Katowice and JagiellonianUniversity in Cracow.
Since 2004 Memberof the European Parliament on behalf of Civic Platform (Group of EuropeanPeople's Party at the European Parliament). Treasurer and Vice-Chairman of theEuropean People Party Group, responsible for intercultural dialogue andreligious affairs. Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Regional Development inthe years 2004-2009 and European Parliament rapporteur on the European Groupingof Territorial Cooperation. In the current term member of the Parliamentary Committees:Regional Development, Budget and Budgetary Control; Vice-Chairman of thespecial, temporary committee on the policy challenges and budgetary resourcesfor a sustainable European Union after 2013. European Parliament rapporteur forthe European Regional Development Fund regulation. Founder member and the Presidentof the European Parliament Intergroup URBAN. Member of the Delegation for relations withAlbania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Member of the Delegation for relations with theMaghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union.
Committed to the work of the European Parliament to promote dialogue with churches. Chair of the working group "Values and Liberties" in the framework of the European People's Party think tank European Ideas Network.Member of the Board of the Robert Schuman Foundation for closer cooperation between Christian Democrats in Europe.
Awarded Knight Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 2000, National Order of Merit (France) in 2002 and winner of the European Prize of Emperor Maximilian for the impact on local and regional policy development in Europe in 2005. MEP of the year 2007 in the field of regional policy - Parliament Magazine’s MEP Awards. For outstanding work for regional cross-border cooperation honoured by Hungarian Government in 2010 -Pàlfi István Award.
