Changes in the environmental impact of Polish agriculture after the accession to the European Union

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the changes in environmental impact of Polish agriculture and to determine the conditions of this process during Poland’s membership in the European Union. This paper presents the results of surveys on changes in emission of pollutants and in other impacts of agricultural production on water, climate and biodiversity in 2003–2015. Based on statistical data and factual information, the author conducted a descriptive and comparative analysis of the processes in question. The study period witnessed a 50% increase in fertilization rates together with the related impact on greenhouse gas emission from agricultural soils and a three-fold increase in the consumption of plant protection products (as well as the increased use external productive inputs). All of these developments were driven by direct payments from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The changes in environmental impacts of agriculture prove that after joining the EU, changes towards production intensification were accompanied by an increased direct pressure on water quality. Changes in livestock production emissions were not directly related to instruments under the first pillar of the CAP. The direct regulatory instruments for environmental protection failed to sufficiently mitigate the increase in the discharge of nitrates into water and in greenhouse gas emissions (2.4% in 2003–2015) and the harmful impacts on biodiversity.