Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s prime minister, has said work on a bill amending the law on the Supreme Court, key to accessing EU funds, should start in parliament in coming days.

Poland is due to get EUR 23.9 billion in grants and EUR 11.5 billion in cheap loans from the EU’s post-pandemic Recovery and Resilience Facility.

But the European Commission has blocked Poland’s access to the funding due to a rule-of-law dispute, despite the fact that the Commission has approved Poland’s National Recovery Plan (KPO), which outlines how the government will spend the money.

In a bid to get access to the funds, MPs of the ruling Law and Justice party have tabled a bill in the Sejm, lower house of parliament, amending the law on the Supreme Court with a view to satisfying one of the rule-of-law „milestones” set by the EC.

Mateusz Morawiecki, the prime minister, said he hoped the legal amendment would be adopted quickly, after which it will be sent to the president for signing.

„The president will take his autonomous decision,” Morawiecki told a Saturday press conference. „The law, which has been written based on a compromise worked out by Minister (for EU Affairs, Szymon - PAP) Szynkowski vel Sek gives a strong basis to believe it may end this unnecessary dispute.”

He said the dispute with Brussels had to end as it sent a bad signal to Russia, adding that „if the bill is adopted in that form, without serious changes, it will be difficult for the EC to back out of its obligations.”

He said the bill had been discussed with Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, leader of Eurosceptic junior ruling coalition party Solidary Poland, as well as with other MPs of that party, which has expressed opposition to any concession to Brussels.

„It can be said that the unity of the United Right (ruling coalition - PAP) is a lasting value,” Morawiecki said. „I don’t believe that unity was breached by work on the Supreme Court law.” Earlier on Saturday, the EU’s commissioner for justice, Didier Reynders has confirmed that a bill amending Poland’s law on its Supreme Court is a step towards the country receiving post-pandemic recovery funding, Poland’s minister for EU affairs announced on Saturday.

Didier Reynders wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he had continued talks with Polish EU Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek aimed at ensuring that „Polish legislation is in compliance with the commitments made under the Recovery and Resilience Plan concerning #judicial independence.”

„The new draft law on the #judiciary tabled by the Polish government in December 2022… is a promising step forward to achieve compliance with the commitments under the Polish #RRP (KPO - PAP),” the tweet continued.

„With a view to the Commission’s future preliminary assessment under the #RRP, it will be important that the final law as adopted raises the standards on #judicial protection and judicial independence,” Reynders tweeted.

Referring to Reynders’ tweet, Szynkowski vel Sek said it was important news as „many had questioned the arrangements with the European Commission.”

„A representative of the European Commission confirms that the (Supreme Court) bill in the form submitted to the Sejm is a step towards fulfilling the conditions for payment of the KPO,” Szynkowski vel Sek wrote on Twitter.

mk,PAP