Preparing for EU environmental policy in Poland: the case of the nitrates directive

The requirement of accession nations to adopt European Union (EU) legislation, in particular the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC), has elevated the issue of nitrate pollution of water by agriculture to one of considerable political significance in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries. This paper reports on the legislative and institutional changes made with the object of achieving compliance. Although harmonisation of Polish law with EU law has been achieved, this paper questions whether there has been sufficient institutional development to ensure the Nitrates Directive's aims are attained in practice.