European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová held “constructive” talks with Poland’s Europe minister, Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk, yesterday about unlocking the country’s frozen EU funds. However, although Warsaw is moving “in the right direction”, it still needs to “meet in full” Brussels’ demands, says Jourová.
The commission has been withholding almost €36 billion in post-pandemic recovery funds from Poland due to concerns over the rule of law, in particular judicial independence. Earlier this year, it agreed a series of “milestones” with the Polish government in order to unlock the money.
While Warsaw sought to meet those demands by closing down its disciplinary chamber for judges, Jourová and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have made clear that this in itself is not sufficient to fulfil all the milestones.
Polish government condemns EU chief von der Leyen’s “scandalous, anti-democratic” remark that it “does not want to change laws in the way we have [agreed] to restore the independence of the judiciary”. https://t.co/jbELFKMPcu
— Kees Sterk (@keessterk1) September 24, 2022
After meeting Jourová in Brussels yesterday, Szymkowski vel Sęk said that he had “wanted to learn in more detail about the doubts that remained on the side of the European Commission, which meant that at the moment the commission has not yet declared its readiness to financially implement the recovery funds”.
“I think I clarified some of these doubts,” he added, quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP). “We are open to dialogue…[and] compromise.”
But “the coming days will show to what extent the openness declared today by representatives of the European Commission will actually be implemented in specific actions and decisions”, noted Szymkowski vel Sęk, who also met with the EU’s justice commissioner, Didier Reynders.
Jourová, meanwhile, tweeted about her “constructive” talks with the Polish minister. “This was a step in the right direction and I am looking forward to continue the dialogue,” she added. “The milestones, agreed with the [Polish] government, have to be met in full. We are ready to support [Polish] efforts to achieve this.”
This was a step in the right direction and I am looking forward to continue the dialogue. The milestones, agreed with the PL government, have to be met in full. We are ready to support PL efforts to achieve this. (2/2)
— Věra Jourová (@VeraJourova) November 9, 2022
Among the EU’s requirements are for previous punishments of judges by the disciplinary chamber to be revoked. Last week, Poland’s minister for funds and regional policy minister, Grzegorz Puda, confirmed that there are still five milestones (some of which are not related to the judiciary) that Poland must meet.
However, other voices from Poland’s ruling camp have struck a less conciliatory tone. Jarosław Kaczyński, the head of the ruling party, has repeatedly claimed that Poland has already met the EU’s demands and that the money is now being withheld for purely political reasons.
Likewise, President Andrzej Duda, a government ally, said last week that Poland has “shown too much goodwill” towards Brussels and should stop attempting to meet its demands to unlock funds.
Main image credit: EC – Audiovisual Service, European Union, 2022
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
