POLANDS CO-OPERATION WITH NON-EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES IN THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION (Wspólpraca Polski w zakresie ochrony srodowiska z panstwami nie nalezacymi do Unii Europejskiej)

The article is aimed at analyzing the level of advancement of the co-operation of Poland with individual non-European Union countries in the field of environment protection and its influence on the improvement of environmental standards and pro-ecological modernization of the Polish economy. The resources are unpublished materials of the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Economy referring to bilateral agreements between Poland and its foreign partners in the above-mentioned field and the results of that co-operation, as well as information made available by the Polish National Energy Conservation Agency. The conducted analysis shows that thanks to the substantial financial and technological support provided by such countries as Norway, Switzerland and Japan our country was given a unique chance to modernize the economy and maintain high environmental standards not only as a beneficiary of that aid but also as a country deepening neighborhood co-operation with Russia and Ukraine, and sharing its experiences with other partners, especially Moldova and Iran.