The European Commission has received Poland's official request to suspend the penalties for not adhering to the interim measures imposed by the Court of Justice of the European Union, in relation to the country's disciplinary rules for judges - EU executive spokesperson Christian Wigand informed on Friday (November 4). He added the Commission would "carefully analyse" the request. "Until this is done, Poland will continue to pay the fines imposed by the court," Wigand stressed.
Poland has submitted an official request to the European Union to suspend fines of 1 million euros a day imposed by the bloc's top court over Warsaw's failure to implement a court order concerning judicial reforms, European Union Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk announced on Friday.
European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand confirmed later on Friday the EU executive had received Poland's official request to suspend the penalties.
This is the second request sent by Poland in that regard. The first one had been sent on June 15, to which the European Commission replied in July by stressing that changes introduced to the Polish law were insufficient to stop the imposition of the penalties, thus keeping the procedure effective.
"Back then, we assessed that while we have seen progress on certain specific issues, not all of obligations... have been fully addressed in (Poland's) new law on (its) Supreme Court," EU executive spokesman said.
Wigand added the European Commission would now "carefully analyse" the new letter to see if any new developments in Poland mean the country now fully complies with decisions of the European Court of Justice.
"Until this is done, Poland will continue to pay the fines imposed by the court," Wigand stressed.
One million euro a day
The daily fine of 1 million euro was imposed just over a year ago because of Poland's failure to dissolve a disciplinary chamber for judges that Brussels said was politicised.
The fines have currently accumulated to some 370 million euros ($365.15 million), about 270 million euros of which have already been deducted from funds Poland would have otherwise received from the EU.
Warsaw has since replaced the chamber with a new body, but critics say the problem of judges' independence being undermined has not been resolved.
"We have filed a motion to suspend the imposition of penalties after the CJEU ruling on the Disciplinary Chamber," European Union Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk told private broadcaster Polsat News.
Szynkowski vel Sęk said the request contained "strong arguments" concerning the way the disciplinary system for judges had changed.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24, Reuters