Rola programów rolnośrodowiskowych w ochronie obszarów cennych pod względem przyrodniczym

The aim of this article is to present the role of agri-environmental programmes in protection of the environmentally valuable areas which are not protected by Nature Protection Act. Agrienvironmental programmes are a compulsory element of Rural Development Programs and payments can be designed to fit management requirements of most habitat species. They can have a triple role: a) protecting of biodiversity in rural areas – ecological role, b) supporting the farmer’s income and thereby the viability and chances of survival of the farming unit, although within the limits of cost incurred and income foregone – economical role, c) promoting sensitive management of biodiversity – educational role. In the EU several member states have designed agri-environmental programmes targeted at specific habitats and species of High Natural Values farmlands (HNV) since the 2004–2006 programmes. In Poland, establishing an appropriate system of national indicator, identification of high natural values farming and forestry as well as the establishing of a legal framework, organizational and financial instruments are still in infancy. Therefore, the procedural measures must be taken in this regards as soon as possible. This allows to fully support HNV areas by agri-environmentclimate programmes in the new period of CAP 2014–2020.