The vice president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, will visit Poland on April 9 to discuss the issues concerning the rule of law, a source from the Commission has revealed to the Polish Press Agency (PAP). The invitation was extended by Polish foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz.
The visit is yet another step in the ongoing dialogue between Warsaw and Brussels, regarding the situation surrounding the Polish constitutional court and amendment acts organising the judiciary.
"Polish foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz has invited vice president Timmermans to visit Poland on April 9. The aim of the visit, according to the minister, is to evaluate the progress of the ongoing talks between the government and the European Commission concerning the rule of law, as well as to find a way to continue cooperation in an impartial and evidence-based manner. Mr Timmermans accepted the invitation," a source in Brussels told PAP.
The visit is scheduled to take place before the Polish parliament proceeds with the legislation presented by PiS as concessions to the Commission.
Mr Timmermans already visited Poland in 2016, in the early phases of the rule of law dispute, when the primary focus of the dialogue concerned the Constitutional Tribunal question. Later on, the dialogue was interrupted and despite Mr Timmermans’ attempt to meet with the then foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski, the meeting didn’t take place. According to an unofficial report, at that time, Warsaw had proposed for Timmermans to meet with the Minister for European Affairs, Konrad Szymański, which Brussels dismissed as too low level.
The EC has already announced that it will analyse in detail the proposed amendments to the judiciary bills. The head of the Commission, Jean Claude-Juncker, said that he welcomed with “utmost sympathy” the proposed changes to the acts on the Supreme Court, the National Judiciary Council and the Constitutional Tribunal.
The amendments proposed by PiS to the bills on common courts, the Supreme Court and the organisation of the Constitutional Tribunal as well as the status of its judges, have not yet been commented on by the EC in terms of content.
The draft amendment to the bills on common courts and the Supreme Court orders that the Minister of Justice will not have the power to remove presidents or vice presidents of the courts without an opinion from both, collective body of judges and the National Judiciary Council. The draft also sets the retirement age at 65 for both male and female judges.
The draft amendment to the act on the organisation of the Constitutional Tribunal and the status of its judges includes the publication of the three still unpublished rulings unlawfully issued by the Tribunal.
In December, the European Commission decided to trigger Article 7 of the EU Treaty procedure against Poland, leaving it three months to implement recommendations concerning the rule of law. These included changes in the Act within the Supreme Court, more specifically to withdraw the entry lowering the retirement age of current judges.
The European Commission had also demanded changes in the bill on the National Judiciary Council (KRS). The recommendation stated that tenures of the KRS judges should not be terminated and the judges should be nominated by the members of the judicial community. Another recommendation was with reference to reinstating the independence of the Constitutional Tribunal, by making sure that its President and Vice President are chosen lawfully and the Tribunal’s rulings are published and executed in full. The Commission reassured its readiness to withdraw Article 7, if Warsaw meets its demands.
Autor: gf / Źródło: PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: tvn24