11/10/2018 (Agence Europe) – Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday 10 October officially appointed 27 new judges to the Polish Supreme Court, while the European Commission referred the matter to the EU Court of Justice at the end of September for suspension of the law, which is considered to be contrary to EU law (see EUROPE 12102). At the beginning of July, the Commission launched an infringement procedure against Poland concerning this law, which reduces the retirement age of judges to 65 for men and 60 for women. This law ended the current term of office of certain judges, including the president of the institution Małgorzata Gersdorf, who was forced to leave her post. The issue of respect for the rule of law in Poland and Hungary is on the agenda of the General Affairs Council on Tuesday 16 October in Luxembourg (see EUROPE 12114). (SP)