Von der Leyen: Poland not fulfilling demands to receive Covid-19 aid

The European Commission considers the latest changes to the Polish judicial system insufficient to allow the payment of billions of euros in coronavirus aid from EU funds.

The new law on the disciplinary system for judges is still being analysed, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

"But I can already say that this new law does not ensure that judges can question the status of another judge without risking disciplinary proceedings," she added.

This had to be clarified before the first payment to Poland could be released, von der Leyen confirmed.

For months, the European Commission has been blocking the release of billions of euros in coronavirus aid because it sees glaring deficiencies in the Polish judicial system.

Most recently, however, the commission agreed with the government in Poland on conditions for the payment of up to €35 billion.

Warsaw assumed that dissolving a controversial disciplinary chamber for judges would meet the conditions.

The Supreme Court chamber, established in 2018, was a centrepiece of judicial reforms pursued by the nationalist conservative government of the Law and Justice (PiS) party. It had the power to punish and dismiss any judge.

But last July, the European Court of Justice ruled that Poland's judicial disciplinary system was in violation of EU law. Critics said it undermined the independence of the judiciary and opened the door to political interference.

Von der Leyen is in the Czech Republic, where a joint meeting of the Czech government and the European Commission launched the country's presidency of the Council of the European Union on Friday.