Environmental Protection in Post-Socialist Eastern Europe: The Polish Example

Political and governmental changes in Eastern Europe have brought about an information explosion concerning the extent of environmental degradation in those countries. Poland is an example of Eastern Europe's pursuit of rapid industrialization to the detriment of the environment. This Article describes the severe air and water pollution problems in Poland. The authors discuss the environmental laws which existed under the communist government and the proposed Draft Law, and recommend changes to bring Poland's environmental law more in line with the laws of Western Europe.