The dialogue with the European Commission on FPO is intense, we have presented a package of guiding proposals, the Commission is analyzing it. We are waiting for the finalization of the substantive talks and guarantees from the European Commission, said European Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek on Wednesday.
The minister was asked in Polsat News on Wednesday about the progress of the talks with the European Commission about the funds from the National Reconstruction Plan (KPO).
The dialogue is intense, although the pace is a little slower than I would expect from the European Commission, but maybe it’s a matter of a certain bureaucratic machine that they “had” a little slower than we would like
he answered.
As he reported, he spoke again on Wednesday about this issue – by phone – with EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders.
This dialogue is yielding concrete results because we have accepted the operational agreements
– he noted, referring to the decision of the European Commission at the end of November approving the operational arrangements for the Polish FPA.
What about the judiciary?
When asked whether there is talk of judicial regulation, he replies that “this is currently being discussed intensively”.
It is about clearing up the European Commission’s doubts about what we have no doubts about
he explained.
For example, that the use of an independence test by a judge cannot lead to disciplinary action. Such a provision was directly included in the draft of the passed presidential law. But the Commission believes that it is not certain that this will not lead to disciplinary action
he continued.
We are talking about filling this kind of (…), so to speak, a certain “confidence gap”, where the Commission is prone to such an unfavorable interpretation. There are several such problems
he pointed it out. When asked whether the conversation concerned a specific proposal of the law on the Supreme Court, he replied that it was not.
We’re talking about direction changes. As for specific provisions, the basic systemic and constitutional body is the Polish Parliament, of course the President of the Republic, and decisions will be made here. There we talk about certain directional decisions, which possible solutions could remove these doubts from the Commission
he noticed.
When asked if we know which provisions could explain the EC’s doubts, he replied: “I think we know and such a package of guiding proposals has been submitted to the Commission. (…) The Commission is analyzing this package, Commissioner Reynders presented initial comments on this package in this conversation today, we are ready to move forward smoothly.” When asked if it was about extending the impartiality test or returning to the original presidential project on changes to the Supreme Court, he replied that these were “discussed areas”, but declined to go into details.
We have an appointment tomorrow for a new procedure, for further talks and consultations, including for the work of the negotiating team, because of course we have a negotiating team in the Prime Minister’s Chancellery that deals with these issues efficiently
he noticed.
When asked how likely it is that a draft amendment to the Supreme Court bill will be presented to the Sejm in December, he replied that he did not want to estimate the likelihood because “the pace depends on both sides”.
On our part, there is a lot of willingness for this quick procedure
he noticed.
When asked if we are waiting for guarantees from Brussels that KPO will be unblocked, he replied:
We await the final conclusion of the substantive discussion and guarantee (…) that when certain solutions have been agreed, our application (for payment of KPO – PAP) can be efficiently submitted and processed. That is why we are waiting with this application, so that we can be clear that we are submitting the application at a time when it will not be rejected.
On July 15, an amendment to the Supreme Court law by President Andrzej Duda came into effect, according to which the Disciplinary Chamber ceased to exist and was replaced by the Chamber of Professional Responsibility. The amendment introduced, among other things, “test of impartiality and independence of the judiciary”. One of the European Commission’s expectations was the liquidation of the Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Chamber, which took place when the presidential amendment to the law on the Supreme Court came into force. Doubts as to whether the new regulations are compliant, some Commission representatives have recently mentioned milestones in this regard.
In the summer of 2021, the CJEU required Poland to immediately suspend the application of the provisions relating to the powers of the Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Chamber, including the waiver of judicial immunities. Due to non-compliance with this provision, the CJEU ordered Poland to pay a fine of EUR 1 million per day to the European Commission at the end of October last year.
Macron’s position
French President Emmanuel Macron’s position on Russia is hard to understand and hard to accept; today Russian criminals are committing genocide in Ukraine, European Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk said on Wednesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that the West should consider how to respond to Russia’s stated need for security guarantees if Vladimir Putin agrees to negotiations to end the war with Ukraine. In an interview with CBS News, Macron said the isolation policy is the worst, especially against a leader like Putin.
Szynkowski vel Sęk was asked in Polsat News whether Paris’ position was understandable to Poland.
No, this is a position that is really hard to understand and hard to accept
replied the EU minister.
He asked how it is possible to talk about a guarantee of security for a state that violates international law, that commits genocide, that does not respect rules.
Today Russia is unable to credibly guarantee anything to anyone other than – what can be said – it guarantees with its policies, ie destabilization in Europe and death in Ukraine. Therefore, such a state must be presented with a decisive attitude and resistance, supporting Ukraine also militarily, simply to repel the aggressor, the invader, the Russian criminals who commit genocide in Ukraine today.
– said Szynkowski aka Sęk.
As he emphasized, we are not in a situation where we are dealing with star witness status.
Only we are in a situation where we are dealing with a state that simply has to be stopped. And as long as we cannot think of establishing long-term relations with Russia, as long as Russia does not withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders, or simply is not pushed beyond these borders. boundaries.
– emphasized the Minister of European Affairs.
Szynkowski vel Sęk was also asked Poland’s views on the outline of the next package of sanctions against Russia presented by the European Commission.
We are analyzing it now. In our opinion, these proposals could be more ambitious in some respects, but this is nothing new – Poland usually shows one of the most, or sometimes the most ambitious, attitudes towards the European Commission’s projects when it comes to sanctions
– said Szynkowski aka Sęk.
We will keep an eye on it and will probably look to strengthen these sanctions in some areas
– added the Minister of European Affairs.
On Tuesday, Poland’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Andrzej Sadoś, informed journalists that the European Union was finalizing the ninth package of sanctions against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.
gah/PAP
Source: wPolityce