No letter from the European Commission has been received about blocking cohesion policy and agricultural funds for Poland, according to government spokesman Piotr Müller on Monday. He added that a single statement taken out of context can create the impression that all EU funds for Poland are blocked.
The EU Commission has not halted funds. The claim that Brussels would suspend almost all Polish funds was contradicted by Müller, who noted that the reports relied on a statement by an official who is not a EC member and that the message was altered to suggest a blanket blockage of EU funds for Poland.
The spokesman stressed that the official in question heads a cabinet with ties to the opposition, and he implied that the timing of such statements could be influenced by political forces. Müller questioned whether the timing of these claims was coincidental, pointing to past comments from figures linked to the opposition that have shaped discussions about EU funds.
He recalled a recent remark from EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn that there is not a direct link between judiciary problems in Poland and threats to EU funds, a position summarised as the official stance of the EU and the European Commission on the budget. The idea that funds would be blocked was described as political in nature by Müller, even though he acknowledged that actions within the European Commission could aim to influence Poland’s policy environment.
According to Müller, there has been no letter from the European Commission about blocking EU funds for Poland, including cohesion funds or the agricultural fund. He characterised the recent coverage as a manipulation, arguing that a selectively quoted statement could create the impression that all funds are blocked while that has not happened in reality.
He added that today’s narrative rests on context-cutting excerpts of an official’s remarks rather than an official decision from the EC. The discussion, he noted, is not about a confirmed EC decision but about political activity observed over several months within EU institutions.
The article in a national newspaper suggested that Brussels could suspend nearly all funds until Poland addresses judicial reforms. The issue centers on the implementation of the Court of Justice of the EU judgment regarding the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court and related measures, including reinstating judges and allowing questions to be referred to the CJEU for interpretation of EU law. While that Disciplinary Chamber no longer exists, a new chamber remains, and the conditions tied to fund disbursement were argued by observers not yet fulfilled.
Rzeczpospolita reported that Marc Lemaitre, Director-General for Regional Policy at the European Commission, indicated that the Polish authorities themselves admitted failing to meet a basic condition tied to a broader restoration under the Charter of Fundamental Rights. This condition is described as horizontal, affecting all funds rather than specific sectors, meaning that until Poland completes the necessary steps, no payments would be reimbursed.
The Financial Times cited unnamed EC officials suggesting that most of the new 2021-2027 Cohesion Funds are not currently available to Poland, while the country could still benefit from the 2014-2020 Cohesion Fund. The FT attributed this to gaps in agreement between Brussels and Warsaw over judiciary reforms, and it suggested that recent Polish government changes were still deemed insufficient by the EC.
These developments are part of ongoing discussions about eligibility and reform rather than a finalized EC decision. They reflect the political sensitivity surrounding EU support mechanisms in Poland and how judiciary and governance reforms are tied to funding conditions, a theme repeatedly noted by EU observers and policy officials involved in the process.
Tkwl / PAP / Twitter
Source: wPolityce