Poland's environment ministry and nature-protection agency left more than a quarter of its EU-protected nature sites without conservation plans, state auditors found

In findings published 2 June 2026 covering 2019-2024, Poland's Supreme Audit Office (NIK) found that at the end of June 2024 no conservation objectives or protective measures were in force for 241 Natura 2000 sites, more than 25% of the network, because they had no conservation plans or conservation task plans, and that the General Director for Environmental Protection had not ensured regional directorates prepared planning documents for 140 areas. NIK found successive environment ministers designated nearly 98% of special areas of conservation late, by 7 months to nearly 10 years; the minister approved only 2 of 11 submitted draft marine conservation plans; and 10 of 23 national parks still lacked conservation plans in January 2025.