Towards an integrated rural policy for Poland

This chapter examines the structure and focus of Poland’s national rural polices along with the development priorities and policy interventions of regions and local governments in rural areas and the role of the European Union in structuring supports. The chapter begins with an overview of national policies for rural development in Poland and how they have changed over time – from a sole focus on agriculture towards a greater focus on rural development more broadly. Following this, key areas of rural policy are discussed: agriculture rural economic diversification spatial, land-use and environmental policies infrastructure and public services. The chapter ends with a discussion of how the aforementioned set of policies could be better integrated for more effective rural development.