"All this is the result of Poland's hard work and determined reform efforts," said Ursula von der Leyen.

The European Commission has finalized its analysis of the state of the rule of law in Poland in connection with the procedure under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union, and has deemed that there is no longer a clear danger of a serious violation of the rule of law in Poland, and therefore intends to initiate the closure of the procedure, informed the EU committee on Monday.

According to the statement from Brussels, Poland has initiated a series of legislative and non-legislative measures to address the concerns regarding the independence of the judiciary that have been continuously raised since 2015 and therefore expressed in the proceedings launched in 2017.

Poland has recognized the primacy of EU law over national legislation, is committed to implementing the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights operating under the supervision of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, and recognizes judicial independence, they said.

It was highlighted: due to the risk of a serious violation of the rule of law existing for at least two years, the proceedings initiated in December 2017 may eventually lead to the closure of the case. .

Following all of this, the European Commission came to the conclusion that there is no longer a clear risk of a serious violation of the rule of law in the case of Poland, which is also confirmed by the fact that the country joined the European Public Prosecutor's Office at the end of February.

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, stated in a message published on her social media page: this day marks a new chapter for Poland. "After more than 6 years, we believe that the Article 7 procedure can be closed. I congratulate Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his government on this important breakthrough, which is the result of their hard work and determined reform efforts!” he said.

The ongoing restoration of the rule of law is of great importance to the Polish people and the Union as a whole. This is proof of the resilience of the rule of law and democracy in Europe, added the President of the European Commission in his message.

The Brussels board informed that Vera Jourová, Commissioner for European Values ​​and Transparency, will present the EU committee's analysis to the competent ministers of the member states at the next meeting of the General Affairs Council, and will announce that the board wishes to officially close the procedure under Article 7 .

On December 20, 2017, the European Commission, in order to protect the independence of the Polish judiciary, recommended the initiation of proceedings against Warsaw due to the risk of a serious violation of the rule of law.

In their justification, they wrote: the judicial reforms in Poland show that the country's justice system is under the political control of the ruling parties. In the absence of judicial independence, serious questions arise regarding the effective application of EU law, they added at the time.

Article seven of the EU treaty enables a multi-step procedure which (in case of a serious and systematic violation of the EU's core values) can ultimately lead to the suspension of the voting rights of the member state concerned if all other member states unanimously support it.

After the favorable developments in Poland, only our country is involved in the procedure according to Article 7.

 

Mandiner.hu

Cover image: Donald Tusk
Source: Euronews