ABSTRACT
Many observers anticipated a radical change in Polish environmental law and policy. Before 1989 Poland had developed a relatively extensive legislative framework for environmental protection. The old framework seems to have been significantly redesigned with respect to nature conservation, pollution control, economic instruments for environmental protection, environmental impact assessment, and environmental law enforcement. Public participation and access to government information are necessary elements for any contemporary environmental regulatory regime. Law drafters in Poland took a very cautious approach to new instruments and institutions of environmental protection. Many of the errors made in designing a new legal framework for environmental protection originated from mistaken assessments of the existing framework. After five years of gradual changes, Poland's environmental protection regime is significantly restructured. New background knowledge has been gained; new infrastructure has been developed; and new procedures have been introduced to assist in adjusting Poland's environmental laws to meet European Union requirements.
