Brussels, 14/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 14 January, the Polish Prime Minister, Beata Szydlo, said on Polish television that the country was at no risk of sanctions, following the European Commission's decision the day before to launch the first stage of the rule of law mechanism (see EUROPE 11467). This will consist of opening a dialogue with Poland in greater depth regarding its law reform in the Constitutional Tribunal. The Commission has also expressed doubts over the new law on the media.
This process “will not lead to sanctions”, she reacted. “There is no risk of sanctions against Poland. The European Commission cannot impose any penalties”, she announced, adding that the procedures underway were “normal” and nothing out of the ordinary.
The Polish case was on the agenda alongside 12 other points, including migration, she observed. “That is what we need to talk about”. The Polish head of government explained that the Commission would receive all the information it requests about these reforms, but suggested that the blame lay with the First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, whose competence in the matter she called into question as he is from a country, the Netherlands, which has no constitutional court.
The Polish Foreign Minister, Witold Waszczykowski, suggested that Timmermans had been inconsistent, Reuters reports, in calling for dialogue with Warsaw whilst activating the mechanism. This mechanism can lead to the Commission issuing recommendations to any given country if there are signs that it could be infringing the values of the EU. The sanctions phase may come at a later stage under the article 7 procedure. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)