* protection of environmentally valuable areas

* expansion of forest cover

* reclamation of degraded land

* rational use of non-recyclable resources

* counteracting environmental crises

- protection of areas of particular natural values, through their legal protection,

- sustainable management in forested areas including regular expansion of forest cover in the country,

- rational use of mineral resources, reclamation of degraded areas and contaminated soil.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy, the areas where environmental pollution indices have been exceeded (27 so-called environmental hazard regions) monitoring of the state of the environment has been conducted continually. In these areas the most serious environmental problems occur as a result of atmospheric pollution, excessive exploitation of raw materials, concentration of post-mining and post-industrial waste. Because the above mentioned areas cover about 10% of the country's territory, we consider that these parts of Poland require careful examination to identify the areas which require reclamation.

From the legal point of view, protection of the Earth's surface resources and their rational use can be provided through application of the national law (e.g. mining law, nature conservation law) as well as by means of physical planning constituting the basis for enacting the local law within communities.

Protection of the areas of particular natural value constitutes one of the largest programmes in the spatial and essential sense. Such a programme called the Environmental System of Protected Areas or the Large Scale System of Protected Areas has been implemented in Poland since the mid-seventies. Its principal idea was the creation of a coherent, interconnected system of protected areas.

Diversified protection regimes for individual elements of the system have been envisaged and the existence of key areas and their interlinkages through environmental corridors. Currently the system includes 22 national parks covering almost 1% of Poland's territory, 102 countryside parks which occupy about 6.5% of the territory, 1,150 natural reserves (0.4% of the territory). Areas of protected landscape covering almost 16% of the country's territory have been designated in the area of 35 voivodships (provinces).

All together over 23% of the national territory is protected on the basis of the nature conservation act. It should be emphasized that in the majority of cases such protection is of comprehensive character which means that both the values of living and non-living nature, including surface features, geological resources et al. are protected.

On the basis of the above mentioned act also protection of the objects of local importance is possible, such as the so-called environmentally valuable sites, geological documentation sites et al.

Protection means, in each case, at least a ban on changing the heretofore form of use. In case of the areas of higher protection standard (national parks, reserves) efforts aiming at naturalisation of these areas are also important.

About 48% of the area of State Forest is subject to protection, located mostly around large cities, in health resort areas, along rivers and the sea coast, in the area of dunes and others. Management in protected forests is governed by special functions performed by these forests (water protection, soil protection and others).

In the field of forestry, activities aim at increasing the forest coverage in Poland from almost 28% at present to over 30%. It is to be achieved through taking over for afforestation purposes the farmland which is not used by agriculture.

- Forest area protection against changing the type of land use

- Forest protection against emissions from industry

- Protection of the health of forest stand and the forest ecosystems stability

- Enlargement of the forest cover of the country

The Forest Act of 28 September 1991 (Official Journal 101, par. 444) defines the following principles of forest management:

- general forest protection,

- sustainability of maintenance of the forests and their use

- enlargement of forest resources.

The Forest Act envisages that afforestation programmes of non-forest areas will be supported by state budget.

The Act on Protection of Agricultural and Forest Land of 3 February 1995 (Official Journal 16, par. 78), as well as its previous version, restricts and rigorously controls the transfer of forest areas into the non-forest purposes. Each of the reforestation should be accepted by the Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry or the Governor. Excluding the forest areas from the forest use imposes high costs on the investor.

The State Programme for enlargement of state forest cover, adopted by the Council of Ministers (1995), assumes increase of the forest cover up to 30% by the year 2020 and up to 33% in a further perspective. Afforestation of grounds useless for agriculture fully compensates small deforestation for investment purposes (motor-ways, industry, recreational construction). The implementation of this programme at the provincial and communal level started recently.

CONSTRAINTS ENCOUNTERED POST RIO: Reforestation, currently radically restricted by law and financial mechanisms, is under strict state control.

The programme of extension of the state forest cover encountered the following constraints:

- lack of financial resources for the implementation of large afforestation,

- attitude moulding of the owners of lands suitable for afforestation,

- protection and maintenance of young and unstable ecosystems of new afforestations.

International Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Drought and/or Desertification

Particularly in Africa

Poland is not a party to this Convention.

General characteristic of drought in Poland

One of the negative characteristic of the climate in Poland is the frequent occurrence of droughts. They tend to occur periodically in different seasons of the year and may sometimes cause serious economic losses. The direct result of drought is a disturbance of the natural water balance in a given area. This, in turn, leads to an excessive soil overdrying, lowering of the underground water table and decrease of the water flow in rivers. In comparison with countries having similar climatic conditions, Poland - with relatively poor natural water resources in relation to economical requirements - is faced with much more serious negative effects of the occurrence of post drought periods.

Regions with the longest duration of drought are situated in the zone stretching from Podlasie Lowland in the north-east, through Central Poland, Great Poland down to the Silesian Lowland in the south-west. Such a spatial distribution of drought is unfavourable from the point of view of the Polish economy, particularly of agriculture. The regions that are threatened with the possibility of drought is also where the major part of Polish farming potentials is situated.

On average, droughts occur in Poland once every three years. During the period of the last 50 years droughts with the largest territorial range were those which occurred in 1959, 1969, 1982 and 1992.

- nature and landscape protection

- water protection

- sustainable forest management

- development of recreational function

Forests constitute ca 40% of the mountain area. Mountains - especially Sudety and Saint Cross Mountains - constitute the area for exploitation of rock raw materials. Half of the rural population works in agriculture. The type of small-commodity, low effective farming predominates. In many regions, clear agricultural regress and the growth of other forms of farming (e.g. tourist service) have been observed. There exist mountain areas in Poland - e.g. east part of Karpaty, certain regions of Sudety - where during the last 45 years a significant reduction of settlement networks has been observed.

The Mountains in Poland are covered by many protective programmes: protection against erosion, protection of head-streams of rivers and protection of areas of therapeutic mineral waters occurrence. Mountain forests are protected as soil and water protecting forests and recreational forests. Currently there is no danger of excessive deforestation of the mountain area. The part of that area (e.g. West Beskidy) is covered by special zones of sustainable development of forests - so-called Forest Promotional Complex.

The main hazards are the following:

- acid rains and industrial dust, which caused forest dieback in Sudety (the famous Black Triangle on the border area of Czech Republic, Poland and Germany), in West Karpaty and in the region of Saint Cross Mountain; a result of the phenomenon is increase of erosion and water flow;

- excessive development of settlements and the recreational equipment in the West region of Karpaty - especially visible in the region of Podhale, at the foot of the Tatry - the highest mountain in Poland;

- the mineral resources mines - mainly in Sudety Mountains.

Among the programmes of mountains protection, the programme of nature and landscape protection should be distinguished. Currently there are six national parks in Karpaty (Babiogorski, Gorczanski, Pieninski, Tatrzanski, Magurski, and Bieszczadzki), two in Sudety (Karkonoski and Gor Stolowych) and one in the Saint Cross Mountains (Swietokrzyski). Out of 22 Polish national parks (IInd category IUCN) nine are located in mountain areas. While the total area of national parks in Poland covers ca 1% of the state area, national parks cover 4% of the total mountain area. Additionally, in the mountains exist 16 landscape parks (Vth category IUCN) out of 120 existing in Poland and ca 100 nature reserves. The mountain area is especially attractive for tourism. The most attractive areas are visited all through the year. Highest attendance is noted in Tatrzanski National Park (ca 3 million tourists) and Karkonoski National Park (ca 2.5 million tourists). Summarising, the policy of aware protection of mountain areas currently covers a significant part of the mountains. Within the mountains area the changes of the forms of management observed so far manifest themselves in the decay of traditional agricultural and breeding works. The growth of tourist services has been noted. It should be highlighted, that the main hazards are air pollution and excessive recreational movement in the mountain.

Assumptions for the programme of food production elimination in the contaminated areas in Upper Silesia have been prepared, as well as the management programme in the areas contaminated by the metallurgic industry for cultivation of technical plants and their use in pulp and paper, textile and chemical industry in the Legnica-Glogów Copper District; proposal for farmland classification for production of specific agricultural crops depending on contamination of the soil and air; permissible levels of heavy metals content in soils (depending on their granulometric composition and acidity in a five-grade contamination scale, taking into account possibilities of cultivation of plants depending on their susceptibility to heavy metals' accumulation); geo-chemical atlas of soil contamination in Poland; draft programme for inventory of farmland devastated and degraded as a result of the negative impact of industry. The ongoing research work is targeted to reduce the impact of chemical degradation of soil and on plant contamination by means of immobilisation of heavy metals in soils.

A considerable number of pesticides which are excessively toxic and most hazardous for the environment have been phased out from trade.

A village sanitation programme has been developed. The budgetary means have been made available to subsidise the construction of farmstead sewage treatment plants for scattered settlements and of sewerage and collective sewage treatment for consolidated settlements. An effort is being undertaken in the area of rational use of fertilisers (soil and plant testing, a new integrated system for counselling on the use of fertilisers has been developed and is being implemented). A system of pesticide control in field crops, food and fodder has been organised. Particular chemical means of plant protection require permits to be admitted to trade. Permits are issued on the basis of the same criteria as in EU countries. The systems of integrated plant protection have been worked out and are being implemented. The same applies to new environmentally safe techniques and technologies in agricultural production, consuming less energy and raw materials and using renewable energy from wood and straw combustion, biogas, biofuel from rape, energy from solar collectors and wind energy. Poland is a party to the Helsinki Convention (1974, ratified in 1980) on protection of the Baltic Sea maritime environment and takes lead in the part concerning limitation of contamination originating from agriculture. Under preparation for ratification is the analysis of the legal and on-the-merits effects of the Helsinki Convention. The assumptions of the socio-economic policy for the rural areas, farming and food economy have been elaborated (1994).

A new general act on environmental protection is under preparation. A draft act on fertilisers is under preparation. The "Programme of environmentally friendly development of rural areas, agriculture and food economy" is under preparation. The assumptions for the strategy of agriculture and food economy development until the year 2010 have been developed in 1996.

- sustainable use of biological resources,

- activity to stop the degradation process of the natural environment,

- implementation of the convention on bio-diversity and other environmental conventions.

With regard to climatic and geographical conditions, Poland is located in the zone of rich flora and fauna, due to the relatively low level of transformation of the landscape the rank of biological diversity of Poland as compared to Europe is high. There is also a large diversification of flora and fauna: from mountain areas, through non-mountain to coastal areas as well as from Atlantic species to sub-continental species.

Maintaining traditional forms of individual agriculture in large areas of the country enabled the survival of many primitive kinds and species of crop plants and farm animals.

In order to implement the principles of sustainable development in Poland and in connection with the obligations imposed on the country by the ratification of the Convention (i.a. inventory of biological resources, expanding protection beyond protected areas and species, development of the strategy for protection of biological diversity), a number of projects and studies have been undertaken, and documents have been prepared:

- the "National Environmental Policy" was adopted by the Parliament in 1991 (prior to the Earth Summit in Rio);

- since 1994, work has been ongoing on the national strategy for protection of biological diversity (a draft version of the national strategy has already been prepared);

- a paper on "Polish study of biological diversity" (1993);

- "Strategy for the protection of living natural resources in Poland" (1991);

- in 1995, the national system of protected areas, covering about 24% of the country's territory, included among others: 20 national parks, 102 countryside parks and 1,122 reserves and its further development to achieve a full coverage of the natural assets of the country; since 1990 the number of protected nature areas increased by almost twofold, and the surface increased by 50%;

- concept of the ECONET-national environmental network (1995);

- the "Polish policy of comprehensive protection of forest resources" (1995);

- preparation of the Project for Protection of Biodiversity of Forest Areas (Technical Report), within the Global Environmental Facility Programme, as a World Bank document, Washington-Warsaw;

- preparation and starting implementation of the National Programme for Expansion of Forest Cover, adopted by the Council of Ministers on June 23-24, 1995;

- establishment of the "nature conservation" annexes to forest management plans in forest inspectorates;

- designation of Promotional Forest Complexes: forest areas representing various natural forest conditions of Poland with a view to running a model forest economy in accordance with the principles of sustainable development (on the basis of the Order No. 30 of the General Director of the State Forests dated December 19, 1994); the establishment of further Promotional Forest Complexes is planned;

- expansion of the existing and establishment of the new gene pools;

- drafting a new "Forest Management Instruction" (1994) containing a number of components important for the protection of biodiversity in forests;

- Order No 11 of the General Director of the State Forests dated February 14, 1995 on enhancement of forest management based on environmental fundamentals;

- preparation of the Polish Red Lists (according to IUCN recommendations) of plants threatened by extinction;

- the "Monitoring of living nature. Programme with the instruction for the years 1994-1997"(1993).

Additional remarks to the chapter: The existing Polish law provides rational foundations for protection of a large part of biological diversity (see: legal acts in item 1 of the intersectorial issues).

The issue of environmentally sound management of biotechnology is covered by the Convention on biological diversity, ratified by Poland. There is a lack of statutory regulations in this area, although this issue is covered by the "Strategy for the protection of biological diversity in Poland". The work on legislation regarding safety for the environment and health management of biotechnology was initiated in 1995.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed in 1982, the ratification is under preparation.

Poland has also signed the first Convention on protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea and the Belts (Helsinki 1974) and the second Convention on protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea and the Belts (Helsinki 1992).

Poland is also engaged in the protection of seas and oceans on the global scale and is a party to many conventions in this field:

- International Convention on intervention on the high sea in case of oil pollution casualties (Brussels 1969) and Protocols to this Convention,

- Convention on prevention of marine pollution from dumping of waste and other matter (London, Mexico, Moscow, Washington - 1979),

- International Convention on the prevention of pollution from ships - MARPOL (London 1973) and Protocols to this Convention,

- Agreement on Conservation of small cetaceans of the Baltic and North Sea

Poland actively participated in negotiations of the "Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Sea" (FAO), the Code of Conduct of Responsible Fishing and the "Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea".

Poland is a member of international fishery organisations, controlling the rules of fishery resources exploitation:

- International Commission for maintenance of Antarctic living resources (CCAMLR),

- International Commission for the North-west Atlantic Fishery (NAFO),

- International Commission for the Baltic Sea Fishery.

Poland fulfils the obligations and recommendations resulting from above conventions and international agreements. The special obligations for Poland are included in the Helsinki Conventions on the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea and the Belts, as the Baltic Sea sets 528 km of the borderline (15% of the total length of the country's borderline); the Baltic coastline is 788 km, and 99.7% of the state area is situated in the Baltic Sea drainage area. Protection of the environment of the Baltic Sea is conducted in the whole drainage area.

These Conventions are also implemented in the following fields:

- the proper management in the coastal zones, for which the obligatory proceedings were defined (Act of 21.03.1991 on the marine areas of Poland and maritime administration); in 1996, the first regional programme for Integrated Management of Coastal Zones was established on the west coast,

- prevention, reduction and control of degradation of the marine environment caused by human activity at the sea; the MARPOL Convention 73/78, Helsinki Convention 1974 and the London Convention on dumping of waste were fully incorporated into the Act of 1995 on prevention of marine pollution from ships. The decisions of this Act are rigorously executed by the Polish maritime administration,

- prevention of marine environment pollution from drilling platforms, regulated by the Act of 4 February 1994 on the Geological and Mining Law,

- protection of sea-water from waste derived from land; Poland, as a signatory of both Helsinki Conventions on the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea was one of the initiators and a co-author of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Action Programme) adopted by the meeting of Ministers of the Helsinki Convention (HELCOM) in April 1992.

The executive acts of the Water Law of 1995 have established standards for emissions of biogenic pollution to the inland waters, which, in majority, flow into the Baltic Sea (from 97.7% of Poland area), at the level as for the water especially liable to eutrophication. In accordance with the policy of discharge licensing, economic incentives have been introduced through charges for extraordinary environmental use and investment programmes for waste water treatment plants have been established. Low-rate loans are being provided from the Bank of Environmental Protection and grants from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management and the EcoFund. These measures have caused significant progress in reducing discharge of sewage into the inland waters and thus into the Baltic Sea; in the years 1990-95 the volume of untreated sewage decreased by 50%.

Activities were initiated towards implementation of the best available practice to reduce agricultural pollution. In 1994, the Minister of Industry and Trade issued the regulation on the limitation of phosphorus content in washing agents.

In 1996, the Act on the Protection of Crop Plants was put into effect, it determines the admission of the use of plant protection chemicals in Poland and the assessment of their ecological harmfulness, inter alia, in water environments.

The system of ecological safety certification of products has been in place in Poland since 1995. The certification covers waste water treatment plants, the elements of water supply and sewage discharge systems.

1. Decision-Making Structure:

- regarding protection of seaside and navigation: Maritime Offices subordinate to the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Economy

- regarding water protection against pollution and nature protection: Provincial Offices and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: High activity with participation of foreign partners promoting technological solutions and systems of protection and developing the public awareness regarding water protection.

3. Major Groups: Communal authorities, Association of Engineers and Technicians, ecological non governmental organizations, Regional Union, Seaside Towns Union, National Chamber of Tourism.

4. Finance: In the year 1994, from 1% GDP allocated to the protection of the environment, ca 4% were spent on water protection.

5. Regional/International Cooperation:

- Sub-regional cooperation in the framework of the Helsinki Convention, executive body of Helsinki Convention and executive body of the Convention on protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea,

- cooperation within the framework of the MARPOL Convention,

- bilateral cooperation with the Baltic Countries.

- ensuring healthy and safe water for drinking and municipal use,

- limiting industrial water use and protection of underground waters against pollution,

- protection of waters susceptible to eutrophication against pollution,

- lakes, midland waters reservoirs, estuaries and Baltic water bays,

- protection of the open waters of the Baltic Sea against pollution also from the point of view of their recreational use,

- limiting the impact of salt waters from mining on purity of water,

- meeting the commitments resulting from the international conventions signed by Poland,

- increasing reservoir retention of surface waters and use of water for energy production.

Poland's midland water resources of both surface and underground waters are small with 1,600 m3/yr on the average. In most cases these resources are from the territory of Poland. Surface waters run-off is stabilised at 43-90 km3/yr, that is 1,100-3,000 m3 per inhabitant, depending on annual precipitation (data for the 1980-1995 period). Exploitative resources of underground waters in 1995 were 12.1 km3. Impounding reservoirs capacity is about 3,000 km3, that is about 5% of the annual run-off.

Water intake/consumption in national economy was 12.1 km3 in 1995, of which industry used 67.9%, agriculture 10.3% and the municipal economy 21.8%. In comparison with the maximum consumption of 15.6 km3 in 1985, water intake has dropped by about 30% as a result of the measures taken. Water consumption for municipal use has dropped by about 15%.

The rules of water management in Poland are laid down in the "Water Law" act of 1974 and a number of executive regulations thereto. Those regulations determine property of waters, their classification, manners of using the resources, rules of supervision and control, protection against pollution, licensing of water intake and sewage discharge, quality standards for the sewage discharged into waters, principles of resource balancing, rules of water regulation and maintenance, hydro-engineering and land improvement and water supply for the population.

At present, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry is working on amendments to the "Water Law" act with a view to harmonising regulations with the European Union laws and international conventions signed by Poland. It proposes to change resource management by shifting its burden onto the catchment system rather than the administrative one. Catchment management has already been initiated. In Poland, charges for water intake and sewage discharge are being collected which go to the National Environmental Protection and Water Management Fund. For several years, a monitoring system for surface waters, both for running and stagnant waters, as well as for underground waters has been operating through the services of the State Environmental Protection Inspectorate and scientific institutions.

Compliance with the terms of licenses for water intake and sewage discharge is controlled by the State Environmental Protection Inspectorate's regional services and infringements may result in high fines and in legal action. The exemption is discharge of saline mine waters from hard coal mines with a negative impact on the water quality of two biggest rivers of Poland: Vistula and Oder. Fees and fines for their discharge are not enforced because of the difficult economic situation of mines. This is an additional form of subsidising hard coal mining in Poland.

Activity in the area of water management and protection is carried out in conformity with the National Environmental Policy and its implementation programme, as well as the water management and protection strategy.

Consistent realisation of strategic goals in this area has resulted in a reduction of the volume of biologically treated municipal sewage from 29% to 50% in the period 1991-1995.

Over 90% of the 23.5 million urban inhabitants make use of the municipal water supply. 81,5% use sewerage system services. But only 24% of rural areas' inhabitants use collective water supply systems and there is a considerable deficit of sewerage services.

The quality of water supplied by municipal and rural water supply systems is sufficient in 90% only.

As a result of the change to the market economy there has been a reduction in wasting water which until 1990 was a resource freely accessible or available for a token fee.

At present there is no legal procedure in Poland that would allow registration of all chemical substances appearing on the market. Another unambiguous criteria is the lack of classification of chemicals. In the foreign trade area there is no separate national system to register trade in chemical substances especially in exports. The imports are connected with licensing procedures. Currently Poland controls the export of certain chemical substances on the basis of the Act on the principles of special control of foreign trade in goods and technologies in connection to international agreements and obligations (1993). The Institute of Organic Industry carries out risk assessments and keeps registers for certain chemicals (with the use of IRPTC).

Regulations on transportation of hazardous materials which are in force in Poland are based on the requirements of international conventions on rail, road, maritime and air transportation (COTiF, SMGS, ADR, IDMG, ICAO) to which Poland is a signatory, as well as the Basle Convention.

The "National Environmental Policy Implementation Programme through the year 2000" assumes, inter alia, the creation of the national chemical safety system, a hazardous materials control system, liquidation of outdated chemicals for plant protection, and the implementation of a "cleaner technologies programme".

Work has been undertaken on amendments to existing and on drafting new legal acts concerning chemicals. The draft act on chemical substances which assumes the introduction of principles for control of the use of chemical substances, in accordance with OECD and with the European Union legal acts, mainly in the area of research, classification rules, risk assessment, package labelling and registration, is now in the final legislative process. This act will impose a duty to inform the importing country about an export of a substance, in accordance with the London Guidelines.

The Minister of Health and Social Care, in co-operation with other ministers, is obligated to implement a chemical safety system in Poland. Setting up an interdepartmental institution coordinating chemical substances management is being planned. The new regulation will create a legal basis for pursuing regular research on chemical substances (heretofore conducted informally) taking into account the principles of Good Laboratory Practice and will allow the elaboration and implementation of risk reduction programmes.

The Programme Council for the "Data base on elementary requirements for safety, health protection, and the environment at the stage of production, transport and use of chemical materials, in accordance with the EU and the UN requirements" was established in 1994 and prepares hazardous substances characteristics charts, in line with the recommendations of the ILO Convention. The Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture and the Agency for Technique and Technology have been established in 1996. The Cleaner Production Movement continues to be developed. Pilot projects have been implemented in over 200 facilities. A ban on use, trade in and transport of certain chemical substances was introduced in 1996, and a list of units was published which are authorised to test materials and technologies from the point of view of their harmfulness. The new requirements concerning pesticide management were introduced by the Act on Protection of Crop Plants which came into force in 1996. Restructuring of agriculture, currently ongoing, is targeted at, inter alia, elimination of highly toxic crop protection chemicals and elimination of food production on the soil contaminated with toxic substances. A requirement to provide opinions on safety for health and the environment for plant protection products, before admitting them for trade and use, prepared by the Plant Protection Institute, the State Hygienic Institution and the Institute of Environmental Protection has been introduced this year.

Foundations have been created for implementation of the Convention of the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents and the Convention on Environmental Impact in the transboundary context. The State Inspectorate of Environmental Protection co-ordinates the state environmental monitoring, including accidental threats to the environment. Preventive action in case of an accident are now taken by plants of chemical industry, within the Responsible Care programme coordinated by the Polish Chamber of Chemical Industry.

- reduction of the overall volume of industrial waste in need of storage by at least 2005 by implementation of low-waste and non-waste technologies,

- increase of waste reuse for economic purposes,

- increase of waste recovery from the waste stored,

- rendering harmless or safe storage of all hazardous waste,

- reclaiming of degraded land,

- production of machinery and equipment for, inter alia, incineration plants,

- harmonisation of the Polish law with the European Community's.

According to the "polluter pays" principle, enterprises are charged for storage of industrial waste depending on their type (there are 4 categories) and volume and they pay fines for non-compliance with the environmental protection conditions.

In 1994, the "National Environmental Policy implementation programme through the year 2000" was prepared which determined investment and non-investment tasks serving for realisation of medium-term priorities. With regard to hazardous waste it called for the construction of regional plants for the treatment of industrial waste and for the organization of regional systems for the treatment of hospital waste (incinerating plants).

The Waste Law and the Act on keeping cleanliness and order in communes were adopted by the Parliament in 1996. Draft executive acts to the Waste Act call for, inter alia, introduction of a new waste classification, model documents with regard to keeping inventories of waste and model documents used in international traffic of waste.

Activity in the area of hazardous waste monitoring is carried out by the State Environmental Protection Inspectorate. In 1993, an inventory of hazardous waste landfills was completed and a computerised data system on waste (SIGOP), run by the Waste Management Institute, was put in operation in all voivodships (provinces). A concept for the rating of hazardous waste landfills has been created. In 1996, a PCB inventory taking program commenced. The program of regional hospital waste incinerating plants is being realised. In 1995, a "Burial grounds liquidation programme" was prepared for the overdue storage sites for plant protection chemicals. Within the framework of the PHARE program, "The program of waste management of the waste hazardous to Poland" is in preparation. The reclamation of degraded land of former military bases of the Russian Federation is in progress . The building of a "Regional system of industrial and hazardous waste management" for voivodships (provinces) in South-Eastern Poland has been commenced.

In progress is the work on a comprehensive recycling system for, inter alia, wasted oils, accumulators and batteries. In realisation is the "cleaner production" program, pilot projects have been implemented in over 200 enterprises. "Good management" practices are being promoted in industry. Technological changes introduced focus mainly on use of waste as secondary raw materials and on modernisation of technology allowing reduction of hazardous waste volume.

- minimisation of industrial waste production by implementation of non-waste or low-waste technologies (reconstruction of industry),

- increase of waste usage in the economy,

- creation of pre-selection and recycling systems for municipal waste and their composting,

- harmonisation of Polish environmental law with the European Union legislation.

Solid waste

Poland is among the group of European countries leading in the amount of produced and accumulated industrial waste. Almost half of the overall amount are mining wastes. Further, there are floatation failings, fly-ashes, slugs from heat and power stations, blast-furnace slugs and phosphogypsium.

A low level of economic reuse of solid waste (54.5% in 1995, increase of economic reuse of solid waste during 1990-95 only by 1%) as well as a marginal range of other forms of waste utilisation (0.2%) causes increase of the volume of solid waste accumulated in the environment: in 1995 almost 2,000 million tonnes of solid waste were accumulated (during 1990-95 increase by 2%). Also, the situation of municipal waste management is not satisfactory. Only 55% of the population is served by cleaning services which results in "wild" waste dumps. Their number was estimated at 10,000 in 1995. There is a growing problem with packaging materials that create waste.

There is no separate legal act devoted to waste. General principles of waste management describes the Act on Protection and Shaping of the Environment, that has been amended several times, and a few other acts. Principles of import, export and transit of waste have been described in details. According to the Act on Local Government, the district is responsible for ensuring organisational and technical conditions for the protection of the environment against waste and for maintenance of cleanliness. The Law on maintaining cleanliness and order in communities does not cover satisfactorily the problem of municipal and other solid waste management. According to the "polluter pays" principle producers of waste are obliged to pay for waste disposal and to pay fines for non-compliance with environmental protection conditions.

The "National Environmental Policy Implementation Programme through the year 2000" calls for the following investment tasks with regard to municipal waste: construction of several incineration and composting plants, regional and local dumping sites and implementation of selective waste collection. Installations are being anticipated in mines for the disposal of waste from mining and power plants, as well as installations for binding of saline mine water with fly-ashes from power plants. There are ongoing activities under the programme to use waste for road and highway construction. The basic elements of municipal waste management were accepted in the 1996 guidance document "Municipal Policy Assumptions".

There are ongoing activities on comprehensive recovery systems for waste paper, rubber waste, plastics, glass and aluminum cans. Efforts are being made to introduce selective waste collection and recycling. A "Study on possibilities for regionalisation of management of waste from health service entities" was prepared in 1995, which assumes the construction of about 20 combustion plants for these waste.

Activities in the field of monitoring are implemented by the State Inspection of Environmental Protection. The electronic data system on waste (SIGOP), managed by the Institute of Waste Management, was implemented in all provinces.

On the final legislative stages are the draft Waste Law. These acts cover, among others, issues of packaging management, usage, utilisation, combustion, composting and safe disposal of waste. Designed executive regulations concern, among others, patterns of the documents for waste inventories. Introducing the "green waste list" is envisaged. The list includes waste which does not require a license for import.

There are ongoing activities on the reclamation of degraded areas of former military basis' of the Russian Federation. Restructuring of industry covers the introduction of low-waste technologies and higher use of waste as a recyclable material. The "cleaner production" programme is being implemented; in over 200 plants pilot projects have been implemented.

- protection and development of valuable natural areas,

- reclamation of degraded resources,

- abatement of gas and particulate emissions into the air,

- water protection because of its growing deficit and the need to provide healthy and safe drinking water,

- putting in order the system for dumping and utilisation of solid waste.

This System consists of:

- the National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management, replenished by the resources coming from fees for using the environment and fines for infringement of the conditions granted in licenses (permits) by the users of the environment, including provincial and communal funds,

- the Bank of Environmental Protection, with NF, mentioned above, as the main shareholder,

- the "EcoFund" Foundation, managing financial resources from the swaps of the Polish external debt for supporting environmental protection activities. Until the 3rd quarter 1996, Poland signed agreements with USA (10%), France (1% of the debt) and Switzerland (10%% of the debt)

- other environmental foundations, administering mainly external funds of the European Union, the PHARE programme, the World Bank and funds from bilateral agreements between Poland and 11 other countries.

Financial resources for environmental protection from state budget, excluding EcoFund, amount to 5% and have been growing during the last years.

In the framework of the Integrated System of Financing Environmental Protection the loans with preferential interests, subsidies and grants for specific undertakings are granted, the share of financial resources from the Integrated System may cover even 70% of the value of the investment cost.

CHANGES IN NATIONAL BUDGET TO ADDRESS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Since 1989, when political, social and economic changes in Poland begun, the growth of investment expenditures for environmental protection has been noted, and their share in GDP increased from 0,5% in 1989 to 1% in 1993 and 1994.

The share of environmental investments from overall investment expenditures reached 6,3% in 1994. Since 1991, this share increased by 1,3%, and since 1993 it increased by 0,2%.

In 1994, 41% of expenditures came from environmental protection and water management funds, 31% from enterprises, 19% from communal budgets and society, 5% from the central budget, and 4% from foreign assistance.

The majority of investment expenditures (47%) was used for water protection, mostly for the construction of waste water treatment plants, 44% were spent for protection of the atmosphere, and 7% for waste management.

NEW ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS: Currently, in Poland the following economic instruments are in use:

- fees for particular use of the environment, such as disposal of waste water and water collection, emission of pollutants into the air, dumping of solid waste, including hazardous waste, use of natural resources e.g. geological concessions,

- fines for non-compliance with the conditions of permits (licenses) for emissions into the environment,

- release from administrative and custom charges,

- subsidies for environmental investments granted in various forms, among others, direct grants, grants for the reduction of interest rates of commercial credits or preferential loans,

- fees for water and energy supply,

- tax differentiation and excise tax on plastic packagings.

Introduction of "tradable permits", product charges, including fuel tax, environmental deposits and subsidies for cleaner technologies.

Investments in technical equipment of industry are being developed.

In 1995, expenditures on industrial plants equipments increased by 132,3%, as compared to 1992.

MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION: The national industry policy, which among others proposes environmentally friendly production technologies, is determined by the following documents:

"Assumptions of industrial policy", adopted by the Council of Ministers in 1993,"Programme of the industrial policy for the years 1995-1997", adopted by the Economic Committee of the Council of Ministers in December 1994.

The national policy in this field focuses on:

- assistance in providing information and training in the field of modern, environmentally friendly technologies,

- implementation of programmes for compliance with the legislation and standards of the European Union including quality systems; e.g. Poland's system of certification of products with a safety label also addresses safety for the environment of products and technologies,

- introducing cleaner production principles into programmes of production and development, and in chemical industry also the programme "Responsibility and Care",

- introduction of voluntary eco-labeling,

- starting in 1996 activities in order to implement ISO 14000 standard in Poland, including the establishment of the association of unit promoting implementation of this standard and the EU regulation of 1993 on EMAS (Environmental Management and Audit Scheme) in enterprises on a voluntary basis.

Since 1994, the Polish National Agency for Energy Saving promotes efficient use of energy, particularly in small enterprises, and implements projects in this field.

In 1996, the Polish Parliament enacted the law on establishment of the Agency of Technique and Technology. The Agency started activities for implementation of the state policy on the use of new techniques and technologies, including, among others, the following:

- promotion and support of implementation of modern, including environmentally friendly techniques and technologies, particularly for small and medium enterprises,

- commercialisation of the results applied,

- participation in implementation of governmental programmes covering development and the use of the new, environmentally safe technologies,

- development of proposals in order to stimulate innovative activity of economic entities.

Implementation of environmentally friendly technologies is financially supported by the National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management. This Fund, together with the Bank of Environmental Protection, has established special credit lines supporting the implementation of energy saving production technologies, savings in housing development, etc.

EcoFund supports transfer of technologies and techniques for the use of non-conventional renewable energy sources. EcoFund constitutes an example of integration of environmental and financial policy of the state because it is a unit administered and financed jointly by the Minister of Finance and Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry.

- Support for scientific studies facilitating the implementation of sustainable development principles. This research should identify the present and future environmental and human health threats and propose solutions along with the methods of implementation. It is necessary to give these studies an interdisciplinary character.

- General support should be given to studies on identification of mechanisms of nature functioning and sensibility to the neighbourhood of degraded areas. This regards also research on restoration of disturbed environmental balance, reclamation and conservation of nature, including particularly forests.

- Support for research connected with spatial construction of nature.

- Economic impact of the state on strengthening of important technical-economic directions of research important from an environmental point of view.

A resolution of the Parliament on sustainable development policy (1995) and a parliamentary debate on this resolution identified that it is necessary to work out an effective system to support science for sustainable development, introducing competitive elements to scientific studies and designing activities for environmental protection.

The Committee of Scientific Research identified the preferred directions of research and implements the principles of scientific policy determined in the following documents that were accepted by the Council of Ministers:

- Assumptions of scientific and technical policy of the state (1993),

- Preferable trends for scientific studies and development activities to increase the innovation potential of the Polish economy (1996).

Environmental protection found its privileged place in both documents, and the trends formulated are compatible with the guidelines of Agenda 21, especially covering the tasks of science for sustainable development, enumerated in four points of chapter 35.

STEPS TAKEN TO ENHANCE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING

Among proposed trends several were taken into consideration:

- Studies and forecast regarding social and economic processes, with regard to interaction of market mechanisms and policy of the state;

- Scientific studies regarding information and monitoring systems for the needs of physical management, management of natural resources and fixed assets, environmental protection, public administration, statistics and science;

- Initiating and supporting the research preceding current needs, preventing threats for society and state resulting from international obligations.

Improvement of scientific interpretations

Among proposed trends several were taken into consideration:

- Development of information infrastructure and national databases;

- Development of activities concerning electronic systems of collection, processing, transmission and making information available with particular regard to network systems, using complex transmission of data.

- Studies on long-term concepts of the development of the country, with consideration to external and internal circumstances, using simulation models;

- Scientific studies important for the development of the country, especially in the long-term perspective and development of activities in the field of forecasting economic development, energy needs and requirements of environmental protection;

- Scientific studies regarding strategic planning and management in the light of the global challenges and development conditions.

Building of capacity and capability of science Among preferred trends the following were taken into consideration:

- Scientific studies on scientific, technical and innovation policy of the state;

- Concepts of modern education for the Polish society from the point of view of evolution of its structure and awareness;

- Financing investments connected with priority studies, as well as with international cooperation.

(million PLN)

*-state budget expenditures

Research on environmental protection is conducted in 6 state scientific institutions and experimental units supervised by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry. These are: The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, the Institute of Environmental Protection, the State Geological Institute, the Research Institute of Forestry, the Institute of Ecology of Industrial Areas and the Experimental Centre of Geological Technology.

Furthermore, there are entities of other sectors conducting large scale research on environmental protection: the Polish Academy of Science: Institute of Ecology, Nature Protection Institute, Institute of Environmental Engineering, International Centre for Ecology; and the Institute of Waste Management, universities, the Experimental Centre for Urban Ecology, the Experimental Centre for Municipal Management.

Financing of scientific research and studies on environmental protection primarily comes from the following sources: the Committee of Scientific Research, ministerial sources, the National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management, the State Forest Farm "State Forests", territorial organs of state and local administration, numerous foundations, associations and enterprises.

Estimated share of particular sources in financing of scientific research and studies on environmental protection: KBN - 55-56% (statutory activity 25-35%, research projects 25-35%, general activity about 6%)

ministerial sources - about 10%

NFEPWM - about 15%

"State Forests" - about 2-4%

It is estimated that about 80% of the studies on environmental protection are financed by the state budget. The Committee of Scientific Research, established by the Law in 1992, administers budgetary funds.

In 1996 funds administrated by CSR included:

- for protection of the environment about 60 million PLN (financing or co-financing of statutory activity of scientific and experimental units and research conducted by universities);

- financing of research projects (grants) - about 37 million PLN;

- research on seas and climate change (financing of polar stations research ships) - about 5 million PLN;Resources of the National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management allocated to scientific works and experiments - 10 million PLN.

* formal education, through creation of an ecological education system on all levels of teaching in different types of schools by including environmental issues into obligatory subjects and successive creation of a net of optional education;

* informal education, through cooperation with institutions and organizations dealing with environmental education.

Cooperation is being developed with mass media in the field of dissemination of information on environment and shaping of environment and health friendly behaviour of the society.

a) Reorientation of education towards sustainable development. In October 1996, the Polish Government accepted the document titled "Assumptions for long-term educational policy of the state with particular respect to the programme of higher level education", which identified tasks of schools. One of the main tasks at all educational levels will be shaping the "capability of rational functioning in natural and social environment".

b) Increasing public awareness. In cooperation with the Minister of National Education and the Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry, and with financial support from the National Fund of Environmental Protection and Water Management and essential support from the British Environmental Know How Fund, work on the preparation of the National Strategy for Environmental Education was started. The first version of the document was presented for consultations in February 1996 (to about 400 entities dealing with environmental education). The document will be finalised in April 1997.

Non-governmental organisations have also been involved in the process of upgrading environmental awareness of the society. Environmental organisations or their representatives take part in activities initiated and implemented by MEPNRF aiming at upgrading environmental awareness and the development of programmes for environmental protection.

c) Promoting training. Training for teachers and other professionals has been reinforced. The Act on the education system calls on superintendents of schools to organise professional advanced training for public school teachers. Specialist training is conducted for public and local administration, managerial staff and other personnel of enterprises, journalists etc. There are various forms of training: courses, seminars, technical conferences, postgraduate and extramural studies.

ROLE OF MAJOR GROUPS: NGOs have been involved in programmes aiming at raising public awareness in the area of the environment. Representatives of these organizations keep up constant cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, they have access to documents, materials and information necessary to conduct their activities, and participate in the elaboration of programmes on environmental protection and arising public awareness.

FINANCING AND COST EVALUATION OF THE LABOUR ACTIVITIES: Financial resources for the above mentioned tasks are provided from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environmental Protection, National Fund for Environmental Protection as well as voivodship and local funds of environmental protection. In 1995 amounts granted for environmental education reached 0.04% GDP.

At present the organization of Polish development assistance is at an initial stage.

Consultations are being held within the governmental structures in order to set necessary guidelines for the creation of an integrated system, which allows the classification and monitoring of development assistance. The preparatory work is being conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with scientific and research institutes, the OECD Secretariat in the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, the Committee of Scientific Research (KBN) and the Main Statistical Office.

It is also necessary to launch more effective cooperation with non-governmental organizations in matters of development assistance.

It has also been recognised, that knowledge of ongoing activities on the part of Polish experts and volunteers in different United Nations programs and projects is insufficient and does not allow a fair calculation of Poland's engagement in international development assistance to the developing countries. Therefore steps are being taken to create a special roster of Polish experts working with UNIDO development assistance projects. This project is being prepared by the Warsaw UNIDO Office and the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations.

The basic tasks concerning the creation of a development assistance system for developing countries in Poland at the present moment are:

- creation of an integrated system of developing assistance monitoring and coordination;

- identification of areas in which Poland could offer development assistance;

- identification of Polish assistance capacity and potential;

- identification of developing countries' real needs;

- full utilisation of existing assistance capacities;

- enhancement of development assistance cooperation with non-governmental organizations and scientific institutions.