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Manila Bulletin devider World devider Poland's top court rules EU fines unconstitutional

Poland's top court rules EU fines unconstitutional

Published Dec 11, 2023 01:32 pm

WARSAW, Poland - Poland's controversial top court, which critics say is under the political sway of the conservative government, ruled Monday that EU fines imposed for non-compliance with provisional European court decisions were unconstitutional.

The Constitutional Court said all the fines, including those imposed on Warsaw over a coal mine and judicial reforms, were "incompatible" with Poland's constitution.

Brussels has already had previous run-ins with the Polish tribunal, which it believes is under the right-wing government's political control.

The verdict had been postponed multiple times and was finally announced as the Polish parliament geared up to vote on the new conservative government, which observers believe is unlikely to get the green light from lawmakers.

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Judges of Poland's Constitutional Court attend a session at the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, Poland, on March 8, 2016. Poland's controversial top court, which critics have accused of being under the sway of the conservatives, ruled on December 11, 2023 that all EU fines imposed for non-compliance with provisional European court decisions were unconstitutional. (Photo by JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP)

If the conservatives fail to muster enough support, it will be the turn of the pro-European alliance -- led by former EU chief Donald Tusk and in control of the parliament -- to form a government.

Over the years, Poland's constitutional court has repeatedly challenged the primacy of EU law over national law.

In 2021, then justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro asked the court to rule on whether interim measures issued by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against judicial reforms and the coal mine were in line with the constitution.

Warsaw and Brussels have been at loggerheads for years over judicial reforms pushed through by the Law and Justice (PiS) government.

Brussels believes the reforms hamper democratic freedom but Poland says they are needed to root out corruption among judges.

Brussels had ordered Warsaw to pay daily EU fines of a million euros -- later slashed in half -- for failing to apply a CJEU ruling demanding changes to disciplinary procedures for judges.

Poland had also been hit by another EU fine for refusing to close a coal mine.

The CJEU had imposed the fine -- of 500,000 euros a day -- in 2021 for refusing to comply with an order to close its Turow mine producing lignite, or brown coal.

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