Development of environmental protection infrastructure in a rural commune after Poland’s accession to the European Union – case study

Abstract

Abstract The process of European integration required the harmonization of the Polish law with EU legislation and the physical implementation of the new regulations. One of the areas in which these activities were carried out was environmental protection. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the Europeanisation process on environmental investment, ecology policy and the practice of environmental protection in rural communes using the example of the Wysokie Mazowieckie rural commune. The study have shown that the impact of the EU integration process was significant. This influence can be most clearly observed in the following two areas: the growing importance of environmental protection in commune policy and the acquisition of external financial resources for pro-ecological investments. Thanks to this, it was possible to solve many important environmental problems in the commune, especially regarding water and wastewater management as well as waste management.