The first tranche of money from the European Union will flow to Poland at the turn of the year - Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday in the southern town of Gliwice. He added it was of a secondary importance to him whether the funds would come from Common Agricultural Policy, EU structural funds, or national recovery plan.
The head of the government was asked on Monday at a press conference in Gliwice (Silesian Voivodeship) about funds earmarked for Poland as part of the National Recovery Plan. Morawiecki said that Poland should sooner or later start receiving cash both from "traditional" EU funds - like Cohesion Fund and Common Agricualtural Policy - and the National Recovery Fund.
"We will certainly get it done"
He added Poland was close to finalising negotiations on Partnership Agreement with the European Commission. Partnership agreements between the European Commission and individual EU countries set out the national authorities' plans on how to use funding from the European structural and investment funds.
"We signed the Partnership Agreement some two weeks ago and I believe that around the turn of the year Poland will receive the first tranche of EU money. And whether they will come from Common Agricultural Policy, structural funds or KPO (National Recovery Plan) is of secondary importance to me, rather than primary. I'm sure these funds will be sent and help in Poland's development. ... I'm optimistic and we will certainly get it done here," Morawiecki assured.
The European Commission approved billions of euros in COVID-19 economic recovery funds for Poland on June 1. Under the deal, Poland is to get 23.9 billion euros in grants and 11.5 billion euros in cheap loans over several years.
But the Commission said the plan included milestones related to important aspects of the independence of the judiciary and which had to be put in place for the recovery plan to be effective.
No money without reforms
Vice-President of the European Commission Vera Jourova said on June 30 that Poland's newly amended law on the Supreme Court did not meet the milestones set out by the EU executive, that would allow Poland to receive money from the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
"Poland will have to reflect in the conditions, and if they do not have a sufficient response in the legally binding rules for the Polish judiciary, which will correspond with the milestones, we will not pay the money. But I'm repeating what the President (of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen) had already said," Jourova said.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier in June that the approval of the plan was "linked in particular to clear commitments by Poland on the independence of the judiciary"
"Let me reassure you that no money will be disbursed, until these reforms are undertaken," EU executive chief added.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Reuters