Under an agreement worked out in negotiations with Warsaw, a violation of the rule of law by a country will not mean it will lose pay-outs of EU money, public broadcaster Polish Radio reported.
Warsaw, along with Budapest, had warned that it could veto the bloc’s EUR 1.8 trillion (USD 2.18 trillion) 2021-2027 long-term budget and coronavirus recovery fund over an earlier proposal to tie access to cash from Brussels with the observance of the rule of law.
The two countries both deny accusations by Brussels of violating democratic principles and undermining the independence of their courts.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Wednesday that a preliminary deal had been reached.
He added: “The agreement is the result of very strenuous efforts by Poland, Hungary but also the German presidency” of the EU.
Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said earlier this week there was a chance of striking an agreement on the budget at the summit of European leaders on Thursday and Friday.
But he added that Poland and Hungary were maintaining their position that any assessment of adherence to the rule of law should be a separate issue from pay-outs of EU funds.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has previously told EU leaders that his country opposes the use of “non-objective criteria” to decide how much funds member states receive from the bloc.
(pk)
Source: Polish Radio
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