Programy rolnośrodowiskowe jako forma wspierania ochrony środowiska na terenach wiejskich

With the entry into the European Union in 2004, Poland is obliged to observe the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy. One of the important areas of this policy is to preserve natural values of the countryside by supporting sustainable agriculture. Thanks to the fi nancial support under the Rural Development Plan (2004–2007) and the Rural Development Programme (2007–2013), Polish farmers received the opportunity to use pro-environmental management methods. This study is devoted to characterizing the main tool to support environmental protection in rural areas of the RDP (2007–2013), namely agri-environmental program. Based on the survey, it was revealed that Poland was one of the countries that received the largest amount of funds for agri-environmental measures. It was also found out that the compensation due to changes in the intensity of production were the main impetus for pro-environmental action.