38,608,929 (July 1999 estimate)
Land area:
304,510 km2
Coastline:
491 km
(Source: CIA World Factbook
1999)
Poland
Country Contacts:
Maritime Offices
Ministry of Transport and Maritime Economy
http://www.mtigm.gov.pl/
Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural
Resources and Forestry Wawelska
52/54 00-922 Warsaw, Poland
Telephone: (48-22) 825-00-01
http://www.mos.gov.pl/mos/mosznil_eng.htm
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Many thanks to the United Nations Commission on
Sustainable Development, the source of the following
information. The information was taken from Poland's
submission to the 5th Session of the Commission on
Sustainable Development (last update: April 1997). For
further information on Poland's social and economic factors,
natural resources, and institutional structures see the
United Nations System-Wide Web Site on National
Implementation of the Rio Commitments National Information
for Poland at
http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/poland/index.htm
OCEANS AND COASTAL AREAS
In Poland, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed in 1982; the ratification is under preparation. Poland has also signed the first and the second Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (Helsinki 1974, Helsinki 1992). Poland is engaged in the protection of seas and oceans on the global scale and is a party to many conventions in this field including: the International Convention on Intervention on the High Sea in Case of Oil Pollution Casualties (Brussels 1969) and Protocols to this Convention; Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London 1971, Mexico, Moscow, Washington 1979); MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (London 1973) and Protocols to this Convention; and Agreement on Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Sea.
The Maritime Offices subordinate to the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Economy form the decision making structure regarding the protection of the seaside and navigation; while Provincial Offices and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry are responsible for prevention of water pollution and nature protection.
Poland actively participated in negotiations of the "Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Sea" (Food and Agriculture Organization), 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 organizations, controlling the rules of fishery resource exploitation, namely: the International Commission for the Maintenance of Antarctic Living Resources (CCAMLR); the International Commission for the North-west Atlantic Fishery (NAFO); and the International Commission for the Baltic Sea Fishery.
Poland fulfils the obligations and recommendations resulting from the above conventions and international agreements. The priority is the protection of the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Gdansk, and Puck against eutrophication. The special obligations for Poland are included in the Helsinki Conventions on the Baltic Sea as this forms 528 km of the borderline (15% of the total length of the country's border). The Baltic coastline is 788 km, and 99.7% of the country is situated within the Baltic Sea drainage area. Protection of the environment of the Baltic Sea is conducted for the whole drainage area.
The Conventions are also implemented in the following fields: a) the proper management of the coastal zone, for which the obligatory proceedings are defined in the Act on the Marine Areas of Poland and Maritime Administration (March 21 1991); b) the first regional programme for Integrated Management of Coastal Zones was established on the west coast in 1996; c) prevention, reduction, and control of degradation of the marine environment caused by human activity at sea; d) the MARPOL Convention 73/78, the Helsinki Convention 1974, and the London Convention on dumping of waste were fully incorporated into the Act on Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships of 1995 with the decisions of the Act rigorously executed by the Polish maritime administration; e) prevention of marine environment pollution from drilling platforms is regulated by the Geological and Mining Law of February 4 1994; and f) Poland, as a signatory of both Helsinki Conventions was one of the initiators and a co-author of the Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Action Programme to protect sea water from waste derived from the land which was adopted at the meeting of the 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 inland waters, of which 97.7% by area flow to the Baltic Sea. This water is especially subject to eutrophication. In accordance with the policy of discharge licencing, economic incentives have been introduced through charges for extraordinary environmental use. In addition, investment programmes for wastewater 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 resulted in significant progress in reducing discharges of sewage into inland waters, and thus the Baltic Sea. In the period 1990-95, the volume of untreated sewage decreased by 50%. Activities have been initiated towards implementation of best available practices 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 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.
Major groups involved in ocean and coastal area protection include: communal authorities; Association of Engineers and Technicians; ecological non-governmental organizations; Regional and Seaside Town Unions; and the National Chamber of Tourism. In Poland, there is high activity with the participation of foreign partners to promote technological solutions and systems of protection; and in developing public awareness regarding water protection. In 1994, from the 1% GDP allocated to the protection of the environment, about 4% was spent on water protection.
Regional and international cooperation consists of:
sub-regional cooperation under the framework of the Helsinki
Convention, including the executive body to the
Convention; cooperation within the framework of the
MARPOL Convention; and bilateral cooperation with the Baltic
Countries.