Poland position on the adoption of the  Chapter 22, "Environment" 

Nitrate Directive 91/676/EEC

Agricultural activity contributed no more than 10mg NO₃/l. In underground waters, though, nitrate contamination from agricultural activity was estimated at between 10 and 20 mg NO₃/l. Permitted limit (50mg/l) was exceeded only as a point source problem around dug wells.

Referring also to the low average stocking densities (approximately 45LU/100ha.) and the low level of nitrogen applied (maximum of 155 kgN/ha, with most coming from organic sources), the Polish Government decided that the current levels of water pollution and of agricultural development did not justify the designation of areas vulnerable to nitrate pollution. This became the basis for Poland withdrawing its request for derogation on the Nitrate Directive. Its new negotiating position stated that:

“based on the intentions of the Nitrate Directive, the Polish legal regulations (including especially the Act on Fertilisers and Fertilising, the Act on Environmental Protection, Water Law, the Act on Access to Information on Environment and its Protection and on Environmental Impact Assessment), and the need to implement the rules of Good Agricultural Practice, [Poland] will carry out activities targeting the provision of manure storage facilities...”

As the EU has accepted Poland's revised position, the European Integration Department of the Ministry of Environment regards the Nitrate Directive as no longer a problem for Poland's EU membership. It takes comfort in the fact that Poland's stocking density is much lower than in most of the EU Member Countries. However the European Commission's response to the revised Polish position was that the nitrate problem could deteriorate if agricultural production were to increase in the country.