The Polish Accession to the EU: the The Polish Accession to the EU: the Impact of new Environmental Impact of new Environmental

Standards on TourismStandards on TourismCase Study: PolandCase Study: Poland

Katarzyna Dabrowska – ZielinskaKatarzyna Dabrowska – Zielinska

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On 1 May 2004, Poland joined the European Union

As a new member has to meet the requirements of new EU regulations and directives concerning environmental standards.

Since 1992 there has existed in Europe a network of over 26,000 protected areas covering an area of around 850.000 km2

This represents more than 20% of the total territory of the EU. Poland is now included in the largest network in the world of protected areas

This network is known as Natura 2000 At present there are 124 areas that belong to NATURA 2000 due to the Bird Directive and 364 are going to be included due to the Habitat Directive

These areas are of interest for the development of educational tourism.

The new Euro regions were also consciously created as a basis for transnational cooperation in the field of tourism development.

The new Euro regions -- which include Poland and Eastern European Countries – are a popular focus for the increase and enlargements of new tourist activity

The name Euroregion is given to areas situated on the borders of neighbouring countries.

The first Euroregions were formed at the start of the 1950s on the borders of Norway, Sweden and Finland, the Netherlands and Germany and Germany and France. They led to the creation in 1958 of the first formal Euroregional structure - Euroregio – on the border of Germany and the Netherlands.

Polish border towns and districts belong to 19 Euroregions situated along the country’s land borders and around the Baltic Sea. Neighbours cooperate to maintain local customs, traditional crafts and ways of life.

The European Eastern border is characterized by relatively less changed environment and the largest biodiversity

In 2003 in Kiev the International Convention on sustainable development of the Carpathian Region has been signed. This Convention has been signed by Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro.

In 1994 the Helsinki Convention on Protection of Sea Environment has been signed by Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland Sweden and Russia. In this document the Green Belt of Protected Area has been proposed around the Baltic Sea.

The European Convention known as Madrid Convention about the transboundary cooperation was signed In Madrid 21 of May In 1980

Amount of Euroregions in Europe

0 5 10 15 20

lorus

Am

ou

nt

Countries

Serie14

Hungary

Greece

Romania

Spain

Island

Estonia

Latvia

Lituania

Bielorus

Denmark

Macedonia

LuxembourgSerbia

Poland

EUROREGIONS

Nysa (1991, Czech Republic, Germany, Polans Czechy, Niemcy i Polska),

Sprewa-Nysa-Bóbr (1993, Poland , Germany), Pro Europa-Viadrina (1993, Poland , Germany), Pomerania (1995, Poland , Germany, Sweden),

Niemen (1997, Poland , Lituania, Bielorus), Glacensis (1996, Czech Republic, Poland),

Karpaty(1993, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania), Tatry (1994, Poland, Slovakia), Bug (1995, Poland, Ukraine),

Pradziad (1997, Poland, Chech Republic), Bałtyk (1998, Poland, Lituania, Sweeden).

MAP OF EUROREGIONS

www.stat.gov.pl

Poland as a New EU Member had to implement the European Ecological Networks .

The ecological network Natural 2000 was created in 1992 by the governments of European Union to protect threatened habitats and species in Europe. Natura 2000 protects 18% of land in the 15 countries that formed the EU before 2004

Each EU Member State must compile a list of the best wildlife areas containing the habitats and species listed in the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.

This list is submitted to the EU after which an evaluation and selection process is being done on European level in order to become a Natura 2000 site.

The Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC was adopted in 1992. The main aim of this Directive is to promote the maintenance of biodiversity, taking account of economic, social, cultural and regional requirements. While the Directive makes a contribution to the general objective of sustainable development; it ensures the conservation of a wide range of rare, threatened or endemic species, including around 450 animals and 500 plants.

The Birds Directive 79/409/EEC was adopted in 1979. This Directive ensures far-reaching protection for all of Europe’s wild birds naturally occurring in the Union, the Special

http:natura2000.mos.gov.pl Europejska Sieć Ekologiczna Natura 2000

                                                                                             

           

The very important protected Areas close to Eastern EU border have to be monitored and the results have to be stored in Geographical Information System (GIS)

What could be solved by GIS to give the actual information to Tourism?

There are number of important information to acheive:distribution of protected areas land usespecial places with plant communitiesprotected fauna and florainfrastructure

EUROREGION NIEMEN

D. Lewkiewicz

Natural Highlands and Lowlands

Rozpuda

Rozpuda

Program Rozwoju Produktu Turystycznego Euroregion Niemen – Polska Agencja Rozwoju Turystyki S.A 2003/2004

Biebrza AreaBiebrza Area

MONITORING OF ENVIRONMENTAL of WETLANDS ECOSYSTEMSMONITORING OF ENVIRONMENTAL of WETLANDS ECOSYSTEMS

Landsat ETM

Aquatic WarblerAquatic WarblerLiving in BiebrzaLiving in Biebrza

about 85 % of Polish population

Biebrza National Park

Planned VIA BALTICA and Protected Planned VIA BALTICA and Protected AreasAreas

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