The first batch of the EU recovery fund money for Poland is nearly certain - TVN24 correspondent in Brussels Maciej Sokołowski reported on Monday (Nov. 20). The point regarding approving Poland's Nationa Recovery Plan has been added to the agenda for Tuesday's session of the European Commission, while the chiefs of EU commissioners' offices have not voiced any reservations regarding said point nor have they planned any debate on the matter. It all suggests there should be no controversies tomorrow and the College of Commissioners will greenlight the payout of over 5 billion euro for Poland.
As our correspondent in Brussels Maciej Sokołowski said, once the EU Commission has approved the payout of the first batch of cash for Poland, it would still have to accepted by the Council of the European Union at a session scheduled for Dec. 8.
In this case, too, the EU officials have not signaled any concerns or reservations and, therefore, Poland should receive the money at the beginning of 2024.
Money for energy transition
Five billion euro, which is roughly 22 billion zlotych, has been earmarked for RePowerEU - a program created as part of the recovery fund in order to boost energy transition and departure from the reliance on Russian fossil fuels.
Poland sent a request for this money to Brussels in late August along with a new, modified National Recovery Plan. According to Maciej Sokołowski, when it comes to advance payments from the RePowerEU program, the EU Commission does not take into consideration any rule of law issues nor does it check whether any expected milestones have been achieved by Poland, including those related to the justice system. Therefore, it is much easier for Warsaw to receive this first batch of recovery money, as no new legislation has to introduced and no new government has to be appointed.
The TVN24 correspondent also reminded that the modified National Recovery Plan and the payout of advance cash did not mean that all recovery funds for Poland - nearly 60 billion euro - had been unlocked. In order for this to happen, Poland still needs to fulfil all milestones related with its justice system. The EU executive is still waiting for changes regarding disciplinary procedures for Polish judges. Without implementing said changes, the Polish government cannot even file the first request for payment.
After talks with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the end of October, Poland's likely new PM Donald Tusk said that amended laws would not be enough to unlock all the recovery funds for Poland. He argued it would take bigger action that was being prepared by his new cabinet.
It's the only way - according to Tusk - to launch all EU funds that Poland has been waiting for for some 30 months.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24 Biznes
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