European Commission lays out options in response to Polish court ruling

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European Commission lays out options in response to Polish court ruling

Oct 19 Reuters - The European Commission laid out its options - from compulsory action to withholding funds - to a response in a Polish court ruling that questioned the supremacy of EU law, stressing that action must be taken to protect the bloc's common values.

The European Commission is, at present, carefully evaluating this judgment, says the European Union Executive President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday.

I can tell you that she told the European Parliament in Paris ahead of a speech by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to the assembly.

This ruling calls into question the foundations of European Union. It is a direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order. She said a first option is so-called infringements, where the Polish Constitutional Court legal challenges the judgment of the European Commission.

Another option is a conditionality mechanism and other financial tools whereby funds from the EU budget and its post-pandemic recovery fund would be withheld from Poland.

In reality, if our Union is investing more than ever to advance our collective recovery, we must protect the Union budget against breaches of the rule of law, von der Leyen said.

During her working time, she said a third option is the application of Article 7 of EU Treaties under which members - including the right to vote on EU decisions - can be suspended because they breached core values of the bloc.

The Polish Constitutional Court that raised questions today about the validity of our Treaty is the same court we consider not Independent and Legitimate under Article 7, she said. This comes full circle in many ways.