XXXI FIDE Congress Katowice 2025

About the Congress

The Polish Association of European Law (Polskie Stowarzyszenie Prawa Europejskiego, PSPE) is honoured and humbled to announce that the next FIDE Congress will be held in Katowice. The XXXI FIDE Congress will take place on 28-31 May 2025, during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will further emphasise the importance of European law and European integration in general.

Organisers

• The Polish Association for European Law (Polskie Stowarzyszenie Prawa Europejskiego, PSPE) acts in its capacity as FIDE Presidency since 3 June 2023
• the city of Katowice
• the University of Silesia

Honorary Patronages

Main sponsor

Media Patronage

Honorary Committee

Eminent scholars, including former Members of the Board of the Polish Association who immensely contributed to its creation and its success, accepted our invitation to join the Honorary Committee of the XXXI FIDE Congress in Katowice.

The Honorary Committee is composed of:

• Stanisław Biernat,
• Sławomir Dudzik,
• Artur Nowak-Far,
• Gráinne de Búrca,
• Marek Safjan,
• Eleanor Sharpston,
• Joseph Weiler.

Registration

Early Bird

Register now! The Early Bird registration period ending on January 31, 2025.

One of the key ambitions of our Presidency is to promote the participation of younger attendees, including both researchers and practitioners. In pursuit of this goal, we have undertaken significant measures to provide a reduced registration fee for them. Specific details regarding this initiative are outlined in the registration form.

Moreover, guided by the focus on supporting early-career representatives of the legal academia and practice, we are pleased to announce the organization of a Young FIDE Seminar. Further information about this event will also be provided below.

A preliminary draft of the event program is now available.

Please note that, at this initial stage, Congress fees may be paid via bank transfer; other payment methods will be added in due course.

In the meantime, we remain at your disposal for any inquiries at: fide2025@systemcoffee.pl.

Travel information

How to get to Katowice?

The map of air connection

By airplane: 

• Katowice - 30 km
  by bus: take the AP Line from the Airport. For the timetable see: https://rj.metropoliaztm.pl/plan/?lang=en. The bus stop closest to the conference venue is Katowice Strefa Kultury. The stop closest to the train station and the main square is Katowice Dworzec.
  by taxi: there are plenty of taxi drivers available at the airport at all times. However, a more affordable option might be an Uber drive. A regular taxi may cost between 150 and 170 PLN, while an Uber drive is between 90 and 110 PLN.
  by flixbus: There is a flixbus connection from the airport to Katowice. For the timetable see: https://www.flixbus.co.uk/.
  Note: the number of daily connections is limited. The bus arrives at the stop Katowice Sądowa Dworzec, which is located a 15-minute walk westwards from the main square. by train: even though there is a train station near to the airport, there is no direct train connection from the airport to the city of Katowice.

• Cracow - 70 km
  by flixbus: There is a flixbus connection from the airport to Katowice. For the timetable see: https://www.flixbus.co.uk/. The bus arrives at the stop Katowice Sądowa Dworzec, which is located a 15-minute walk westwards from the main square.
  by train: You need to take a train from the station Kraków Lotnisko to Kraków Główny, and then transfer for a train from Kraków Główny to the station Katowice. For timetable see: https://rozklad-pkp.pl/en.
  by taxi: there are plenty of taxi drivers available at the airport at all times. However, a more affordable option might be an Uber drive. A regular taxi may cost over 300 PLN, while an Uber drive is around 220 PLN.

• Warsaw - 300 km
  by plane: the Warsaw airport is the most common transfer airport. If you arrive there, you may transfer for a plane to the Katowice Pyrzowice Airport. The flight takes around 30 minutes.
  by train: you first need to take a train from the station Warsaw Chopin Airport to Warszawa Zachodnia, and then from Warszawa Zachodnia to the Katowice station. For timetable see: https://rozklad-pkp.pl/en.
  by flixbus: take the line from Warsaw Airport to Katowice Sądowa (which is located a 15-minute walk westwards from the main square in Katowice).
  Note: a trip by flixbus usually requires a transfer in another city, e.g. Krakow. For timetable see: https://www.flixbus.co.uk/.

• Ostrava (CZ) - 130 km
  By train: Katowice Station
  For connections and train timetables see: https://rozklad-pkp.pl/en
  There is a number of direct train connections from major European cities to Katowice. These include: Berlin-Katowice, Budapest-Katowice, Vienna-Katowice, Prague-Katowice, and Bratislava-Katowice. To find the particular connection and ticket that best fits your schedule, visit: https://www.thetrainline.com/ or https://www.raileurope.com/en.
  By bus: stop Katowice Sądowa - by flixbus: For connections and train timetables see: https://www.flixbus.co.uk/.

Location of the Congress

The International Congress Centre (MCK) is located in the heart of the city, close to the market square and the campus of the University of Silesia in Katowice, bordering on the Culture Zone – a space popular with the residents of Katowice and the region as well as tourists. You can walk from the railway station (2.5 km/15 min.) or take the tram (lines T2, T11, T13, T23, T43 to the Katowice Rondo stop – 8 min.). The nearest bus/tram stops are: Katowice Strefa Kultury NOSPR, Katowice Rondo and Katowice Uniwersytet Śląski.

The map of the MCK with the car parks

Accommodation

The participation fee does not cover accommodation expenses. In line with arrangements established during previous editions of the FIDE Congress, participants are kindly requested to arrange their own accommodation.

In Katowice, you will find a range of hotels situated in the city centre, within a walking distance from the Congress venue itself.

For your convenience, we have prepared detailed information on recommended hotels, some of which offer preferential rates.

Accomodation and recommended hotels (PDF)

If you need further assistance regarding accommodation, please contact us at fide2025@systemcoffee.pl.