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European Union (EU) climate/energy targets and policies are poised for the first full climate policy cycle - from adoption and implementation of the policy package for 2020, to reform for 2030. A dynamic approach to the ways in which EU policies affect policy development is developed by applying theories of domestic implementation, policy feedback and integration. Implementation experiences in Poland - the ‘least climate ambitious’ EU member state - affected Polish preferences for reformed EU policies. Existing EU policies, their ‘fit’ with Poland’s energy interests and change in anticipation of future EU policies explain much of the variation in preferences. Second, policy feedback from Poland significantly affected the EU 2030 climate and energy framework. As yet, the EU has succeeded only partly in gathering momentum through a ‘snowball’ effect whereby positive policy feedback from implementation generates further steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to show the possible effects of implementation of the European Union climate policy on the economy and the labour market in Poland. The specified research objective and introductory literature review were the basis of the following research hypothesis: the EU climate policy will cause great uncertainty in strategic sectors of the Polish labour market and economy. The hypothesis has been examined by a method based on critical analysis of Polish and foreign literature on the EU climate policy and its economic effects. The critical analysis of literature and of available statistical data and economic forecasts con- firmed the research hypothesis. It means that implementation of the EU climate policy will lead to considerable increase of uncertainty in the Polish labour market. The situation in traditional branches and sectors, such as mining, metallurgy, cement plants and traditional power plants industries is particularly worrying. On the other hand there is an expectation that in sectors based on green energy and in industries producing low emission technologies the demand for jobs will increase, but the scale of the increase is not clear and any predictions here may turn out to be incorrect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After Poland's entry to the European Union, Polish dairy companies were forced to change the way they functioned as far as ecologization was concerned. Efficient functioning of these organizations was possible only when environmental management had been properly implemented. This paper presents the results of research on environmental management of 32 companies conducting business activity in Poland. It was proven that in comparison to 2003, processes aimed at improving the environmental parameters of these companies were considerably intensified after Poland's accession to the EU. This resulted to a large extent from the need to adjust the organizations to EU regulations. In this case, small enterprises were in the most difficult situation for a number of reasons. First of all, due to financial reasons, such enterprises did not try to implement any, of a number of activities, that could improve their functioning. Secondly, the surveyed units took actions aimed at economizing on water supplies, minimizing waste, and changing the heating system to gas heating in order to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide. On the other hand, environmental management systems were implemented in large companies. However, such companies did not always notice the necessity of certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysts have heralded the principle of 'multifunctionality' undergirding the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy 'Second Pillar' support mechanisms as a 'new . . . and strong paradigm' for agriculture (van der Ploeg and Roep 2003), with the potential to re-embed social, environmental, and ethical concerns into the structure of the agricultural system. Multifunctionality-inspired agrienvironmental policies arguably represent an alternative to the productivist-focused structural forces driving global industrialized agriculture. Yet few empirical studies interrogate the links between the assumed benefits of these policies and farmer experiences. This article examines the introduction of European Union multifunctional agrienvironmental policies in Poland, specifically incentives and supports for certified organic farming, and demonstrates that while favorable incentive subsidies have promoted increased entry into the organic farming sector, inattention to contextual factors has generated barriers to entry and access, creating unanticipated vulnerabilities for Poland's organic farmers and subsequent contradictions in policy implementation. Furthermore, this article demonstrates that, although specific organic certification standards have changed little since Poland's accession to the European Union, the processes associated with new EU multifunctional policies have shifted toward greater institutionalization and bureaucratization, potentially thwarting the efficacy of multifunctional incentives for organic agriculture in the Polish context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied how regional, road and forestry planning sectors work to implement policies about biodiversity conservation and public participation. Evaluations were based on a normative model for planning derived from the existing international policies and relevant literature. Key planning actors were then interviewed with regard to their understanding of biodiversity and participation policies as well as ability to act and willingness to implement them. The results indicate several gaps in planning processes, for example, insufficient knowledge about biodiversity conservation and participation, limited resources and tools for planning of functional habitat networks and collaboration, poor connections between local and regional planning, and weakly developed public participation. The main problem for effective policy implementation seems to be related to planners' ability to act, which indicates that relatively low priority was given to provide resources for biodiversity conservation and public participation by the relevant units. We discuss our findings in relation to the implementation of environmental policies in the new EU countries of Eastern and Central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

1. The European Water Framework Directive provides a framework for improving the ecological quality of stream ecosystems, with deviation from reference used as a measure of ecological status. 2. Here we examine the possibility of using less impacted stream sites from Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to establish a Danish reference network for macrophyte assemblages, and as a guiding image for identification of possible references sites within Denmark. Both approaches were evaluated using historical Danish records. 3. Four different macrophyte assemblages were identified for mid-sized streams in the Central and Eastern Lowland ecoregions. Macrophyte assemblages could not be delineated using physical stream site characteristics; however a gradual change in assemblage composition was attributed to differences in alkalinity and human impact. 4. Assemblages of contemporary vegetation in Denmark were quite similar to those found in Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian streams (26–35%). However, more importantly, from species-based predictions we noted higher similarity, particularly with Latvian and Lithuanian streams, before intensive land use commenced in Denmark ( c. 1900). These results show that stream sites from these three countries can be considered in a Danish reference network. 5. Two of the four macrophyte assemblages comprised species such as Fontinalis antipyretica, Myriophyllum spicatum, Nuphar lutea, Potamogeton alpinus and P. perfoliatus that have a very scattered occurrence in the contemporary vegetation in Denmark. These groups were closely associated with the predictions from historic records, thereby lending support the conjecture that these assemblages could be part of the guiding image for the identification of potential reference sites within Denmark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]