The representatives of the Member States, meeting in the General Affairs Council, once again heard Poland on Tuesday, 11 December, on its criticised judicial reforms that led the European Commission to open Article 7 proceedings against the country in December 2017 and to refer the Polish Supreme Court Act to the Court of Justice.
This hearing, the third since June, focused more specifically on the measures taken by the government to comply with the order of 19 October by the EU Court of Justice to suspend the Supreme Court Act (see EUROPE 12121).
By introducing a new retirement age, this new law had the effect of prematurely interrupting the term of office of certain judges, including the President of this Court. The government has since announced legislative amendments to revisit the controversial provisions of the law.
According to Paris, who was also speaking on behalf of Berlin, the first measures taken by Warsaw in the wake of this order are in any case a "step in the right direction". "We hope that from now on, the Polish authorities will gradually take into account the Commission's concerns", said Nathalie Loiseau, the French Minister for European Affairs. However, France and Germany continue to believe that the "other elements of the reform of the Polish judicial system raise concerns with regard to respect for the rule of law", thus continuing to support the Commission's approach and actions in this Article 7 procedure.
The meeting ended without a statement by the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union on this Polish matter or a statement by Vice-President Frans Timmermans. The ministers were also to examine the Hungarian case. EUROPE will continue to follow this. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)