Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection

Poland

Chief Inspector for Environmental Protection is a central governmental authority. He manages the Inspection for Environmental Protection. His work is facilitated by the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental ProtectionTasks related to inspections are carried out mainly by the Voivodship Inspectors for Environmental Protection and by the Chief Inspector for Environmental Protection.

Staff

Inspection was established in 1980. It employs approximately 2500people (720 inspectors, 300 involved in monitoring, 840 laboratory staff, 610 management and administration staff). Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection employs 150 people.

Main tasks

The principal tasks of the Inspection for Environmental Protection are:
Control of the compliance with the rules of environmental protection,
Monitoring of the state of environment
Environmental information dissemination
Prevention of Environmental Emergencies,
Control of transboundary movement of waste and market surveillance

Areas and methods of activity

Performing these tasks the Inspection for Environmental Protection:
Carries out the inspections of companies and industry installations
Issues decisions on suspension of operation of constructions or installations not complying with environmental requirements
Deals with the matters concerning compliance with regulations on packages and packages waste and compliance with regulations on entrepreneurs’ responsibilities concerning management of certain waste and on the product charge and the deposit charge
Cooperates with the appropriate state bodies in the matters connected with the infringement of the environmental law / Conducts and coordinates surveys and measurements concerning the quality of the environmental components. (The assessment of the state of the environment in Poland is carried out within the frameworks of the State Environmental Monitoring System)
Informs government and local authorities, as well as the public about the state of the environment.
Elaborates reports and bulletins for example: “The state of the Environment in Poland” – report issued every four years by the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection
Publishes regional reports on the state of the environment in the voivodships, as well as so-called “media-oriented reports”
Is responsible for the tasks concerning environmental emergencies in the environment. Inspection creates suitable conditions for prevention of serious threats, supervise the process of elimination of their consequences as well as controls restoring the environment
to its former state.
Is responsible for the permits concerning transboundary movement of waste. According to the Regulation No 259/93 the Chief Inspector for Environmental Protection is the responsible body in this area.
Cooperates with the responsible bodies and international organizations in the area of the transboundary movement of waste,
In the area of market surveillance controls the products brought to the market within Inspection’s responsibility and supervises the Voivodeship Ispectorates for Environmental Protection activities concerning compliance of products with appropriate requirements
Coordinates implementation of the tasks of Basel Convention, HELCOM Convention and Convention on Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents
Cooperates with the other environmental institutions within the confines of INSPIRE, GMES and IMPEL