Abstract
Abstract Following the scientific progress and the European Union activity, Polish strategic papers have started to postulate the implementation of the ecosystem services (ES) approach (National Urban Policy, 2015; Program for biodiversity protection and sustainable use, 2015). The aim of this paper is to show the implementation of the ES concept into the Polish legal system and the challenges related to its implementation. The paper attempts to review the legal acts concerning the protection of ecosystems, their functions and benefits for people. Until now, the term “ecosystem services” has not been presented in Polish legal acts. However, the results of study show that current regulations allow for this approach (although not in a direct way) to be taken into consideration to a significant extent. Perceiving the ecosystems as beneficial for human beings is, in Polish regulations, clearly visible in the spatial management, nature conservation, forestry, and water management. The existing provisions incorporate both the services, which are already captured by the market mechanisms, and non-market services. The character of these regulations is preventive, maintaining, restoring and ES enhancing. We conclude that a further effort should be aimed at: harmonization of existing provisions; introducing the ES notion directly into legal acts; and implementation of ES approach in executive regulations.
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