On Tuesday 19 September, the European Commission asked the Polish government to explain the corruption scandal and its impact on EU security after the Polish media revealed last week that Polish authorities around the world had for years been handing out visas giving access to the EU’s Schengen area in exchange for bribes.
The letter, sent by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, to the Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Zbigniew Rau, and disclosed by Politico on Thursday 21 September, addresses 11 questions to the government and warns that it could be breaching European legislation by irresponsibly issuing visas allowing foreign nationals to enter EU territory.
According to Politico, quoting a Polish government spokesman, Warsaw has already decided to carry out an inspection and audit of the consular affairs department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all Polish consular establishments. It was also decided to terminate contracts with all outsourcing companies that process visa applications.
The Polish government has until 3 October to respond to Mrs Johansson’s letter and say how it will remedy the situation. The Renew Europe group in the European Parliament has called for an urgent debate on this issue. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)