Jacek Cheda: Providing access to information about the state of the environment as a factor in raising the environmental awareness of citizens.

This study is devoted to the issue of ensuring access to information about the state of the environment as a factor in raising the environmental awareness of citizens. Author describes the origins of the system, lists the records of international law, European Union law and the Polish law concerning the issues relating to access of citizens to information about the state of the environment. Author also discussed in detail the principle of availability of information on the state of the environment in Poland and identifies the responsibilities of public administration in this regard. Attention was also drawn to the role of the media in providing such information. In summary, the author assesses functioning in our country's system of providing access to information about the state of the environment, its protection and its impact on shaping the environmental awareness of citizens.

Keywords: information, environment, environmental awareness