Poland will Receive €37bn from the EU, Unblocked by the European Commission
The European Commission will unblock €37 billion for Poland from the National Reconstruction Plan and Cohesion Policy, which were previously blocked due to problems with the rule of law in Poland.
This was announced by President Ursula von der Leyen during a trip to Poland on Friday, where she spoke with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Money.pl reports.
The breakthrough came days after Polish officials travelled to Brussels to present an "action plan" of nine bills aimed at restoring the independence of the judiciary from the country's highest court to lower courts.
"We are impressed by your efforts and those of the Polish people to restore the rule of law as the pillar of your society. A society where everyone plays by the rules. A society where people and businesses can trust institutions and can hold the authorities accountable," von der Leyen said after meeting with the Prime Minister.
"Given the reforms you have launched and the number of immediate steps you have taken on the independence of the judiciary, I have good news: next week the (Commissioners) will come up with two decisions on European funds that are currently blocked for Poland. These decisions will free up to 137 billion euros for Poland."
Brussels denied the previous far-right Polish Law and Justice (PiS) government access to €76.5 billion in cohesion funds allocated for the 2021-2027 period due to a number of rule of law shortcomings, largely centred on the judiciary's steady decline in independence and growing political interference in the courts.
After coming to power in mid-December, Tusk promised to reset relations between Brussels and Warsaw, restore democracy and release frozen funds that the country urgently needs to pay for development projects to accelerate its green and digital transition.
Poland quickly requested the first disbursement of €6.3 billion in grants and loans from the recovery fund and submitted a self-assessment for the pooling funds. This triggered the Commission's internal process to verify the fulfilment of the court conditions.
Even if the Commission makes a decision next week, disbursements will not be immediate or absolute. The cohesion funds will be disbursed gradually in line with the development of projects on the ground.
At the same time, the recovery funds are divided into tranches and are strictly tied to the completion of reforms and investments. Member states have to fulfil their obligations by August 2026.
Both packages of money are linked to the restoration of judicial independence and force the Polish government to reverse the effects of controversial changes introduced by PiS, in particular regarding the disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court, which had the power to punish magistrates according to their decisions.