by Jan Strupczewski
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission said on Monday that four European judges associations have asked the Court of Justice of the European Union to quash
under the Controversial proposals, EU finance ministers approved Poland’s recovery plan in June for some 35 billion euros ($34.99 billion) grants and loans to Warsaw, once it meets certain conditions.
But four European associations of judges – the European Association of Administrative Judges, the European Association of Judges, Rechters voor Rechters and Magistrats Européens pour la Démocratie et les Libertés – asked the EU General Court on Sunday to remove ministers and commissions decision.
The association said the committee’s recommendation and the minister’s subsequent approval should be rescinded after the EU Supreme Court ruled in July 2021 that the Polish nationalist government had illegally changed the judiciary. The suspended Polish judges should resume work immediately.
However, the Commission accepted suspended judges in negotiations with Warsaw to undergo a review process of more than a year, with an inconclusive result – clearly ignoring the EU Court of Justice ruling.
“We take note of this legal action against the Council’s decision to approve the Polish Recovery and Resilience Plan,” a spokesman for the committee said.
“The Commission fully supports its recommendations to the European Commission. The Council approves the plan, which aims to raise the bar in important aspects of judicial protection and thus contribute to an improved investment climate,” she said. . ‘t Veld said in a statement that she would lobby the European Parliament in the coming weeks to join the case in support of the Society of Judges.
Poland has not yet met any of the conditions set out in the EU approval of its plan, so it is unlikely that any payments will be made in the short term.
But the EU Court of Justice’s possible cancellation of the plan’s approval will completely close the payment option unless Poland agrees to change its recovery plan to fully implement the earlier EU Court of Justice ruling.
($1 = 1.0003 EUR)
