EU Commission pays out 6.3 bln euros to Poland in recovery funds

Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, announced at a press conference the European Commission has paid out 6.3 billion euros (approx. 27 billion zlotys) to Poland in EU recovery funds.

The minister was asked how a potential presidential veto of the planned reforms of the justice system would affect Poland's relations with the EU.

"Personally, I'm disappointed because it's an element of the rule of law reform which Poland is very much in need of. We, however, have expressed it clearly in talks with the European Commission: the government is responsible for preparing laws and ensuring a parliamentary majority to adopt these laws. What's not in the hands of the government, however, are the president's decisions," she replied.

Pełczyńska-Nałęcz added that President Andrzej Duda "is a separate political player". "His decision may go one way or another and that has been clearly underscored. Therefore, the European Commission is aware that the legislative process in Poland looks like the way it does," she stressed.

The minister also said that the rule of law situation in Poland matters to all EU member states, adding that - in her view - a presidential veto of judicial reforms would not affect this and future payouts of EU funds for Poland.

"It has been brought to the table and it doesn't require a huge political insight to understand the political realities of Poland. It's been laid out clearly how the government sees the reform, how it would like restore rule of law in Poland, and that it is doing all it can to make the rule of law happen. The first moment the legislative process is ready to be carried out in full, it most certainly will," Pełczyńska-Nałęcz assured.

"This is the message that Brussels, the Commission and our EU partners have received," she added.