The European Commission has called on the Polish Government to pay a $78 million (69-million-euro) fine imposed on it for ignoring top EU court rulings on Poland’s Supreme Court disciplinary chamber.
A commission spokesperson told a reporter on Thursday that an official request to pay the enormous fine was issued on Wednesday.
In October, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) instructed Poland to pay one million euros to the EU executive branch for every day it failed to implement the ECJ’s July rulings on the Polish high court chamber.
The government in Warsaw was locked in a multi-faceted dispute with various EU institutions over the rule of law and has accused the bloc’s most senior judges of making politically motivated rulings.
Poland’s government has said that the disciplinary chamber one of many judicial reforms undertaken in recent years was part of a much-needed modernization programme.
The chamber can institute disciplinary proceedings against Polish judges for the content of their rulings or for referring a question to EU courts.
On Wednesday, the European Commission said it would withhold millions of euros in EU funds earmarked for Poland due to a separate unpaid ECJ fine linked to the Turow coal mine.
Billions of euros in EU pandemic recovery funds due to Poland were now at stake as the EU executive branch withholds approval of Poland’s spending plan.
The withholding of the approval of Poland’s spending plan was due to its concerns over the rule of law in the country and Warsaw’s non-compliance with ECJ rulings. (dpa/NAN)
