Environmental policy in rural development management involving territorial partnerships

Motives: Local authorities are seeking new approaches to development, with a strong emphasis on multifunctional development. Taking into account the state of the natural environment, they need to implement various activities that effectively reduce anthropogenic pressure. Poland’s membership in the EU requires the implementation of the European Green Deal. The neighbouring Polish and Ukrainian regions of Lublin and Lviv, which share similar environmental conditions and a common cultural heritage, were chosen for this study. The Polish border regions have the potential to serve as an important model for Ukrainian border regions as they strive to integrate into the European Union. This  paper provides an overview of development and environmental support policies, as well as in-depth case studies, to establish a basis for assessing the sustainable functioning of rural municipalities and territorial partnerships. Aim: This study examined supra-local strategic documents concerning environmental protection and rural development in Polish and Ukrainian municipalities. Their socio-economic situation was characterised, and the goals and activities proposed under their environmental protection programmes and local development strategies were identified. Results: Based on the research findings, a proposal was formulated for implementing systemic solutions in the development of strategic plans to ensure that local strategies become fundamental tools for implementing measures that support environmental protection and sustainable development.