EU approves Poland recovery fund, paving way to pay billions

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s executive branch on Wednesday approved Poland’s pandemic recovery fund, paving the way for the release of billions of euros in grants and loans, even as lawmakers expressed deep unease about democratic backsliding in the country.

The long-delayed decision, which must be approved by EU member states within four weeks, would see the nationalist government in Warsaw given access to 23.9 billion euros ($25.4 billion) in grants and 11.5 billion euros ($11.7 billion) in loans.

The European Commission said that Poland’s plan includes “milestones” that must be met on the independence of the judiciary. Brussels said this is vital for investor confidence and to help the country’s economic recovery.

“Poland needs to demonstrate that these milestones are fulfilled before any disbursement under the (pandemic fund) can be made,” the commission, which proposes EU laws and supervises the way they are enacted, said in a statement.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to travel to Warsaw on Thursday to publicly announce the move.

The announcement came after a centrist group in the European Parliament demanded an “urgent” explanation Wednesday amid reports the Commission was prepared to release billions of euros to Poland’s government.

Renew Europe, a centrist group in the European Parliament, said it was concerned by reports of a deal despite Poland’s “consistent trashing of the rule of law.”

Poland’s lower house of parliament voted last week to abolish a disciplinary body within the Polish Supreme Court that the right-wing government has used to suspend judges for rulings or public statements it did not like.

Associations of judges and human rights groups say the changes were only perfunctory because the powers of the soon-to-be abolished Disciplinary Chamber will continue to be carried out by judges who are effectively political appointees.

Before last week’s vote, the chamber had suspended judges for…