ALDE welcomes the Commission’s decision to protect the Polish judiciary

The European Commission has announced today the launch of the infringement procedure against Poland for not respecting the independence of the country’s judges. Liberal and Democrat MEPs welcome this timely intervention to protect the Polish judiciary from any sort of political control exercised via questionable disciplinary procedures.

Guy Verhofstadt ALDE Group President said:

“Defending the independence of Polish judges is the right thing for the Commission to do. We are not just an internal market, we share a common set of principles and values. Judges must be able to operate free from any sort of political pressure, regardless of the Member State they are working in.”

Sophie in ‘t Veld ALDE Vice President further commented:

“Upholding the independence of the judiciary is essential in all Member States, as they are part of the EU legal system and apply European laws. The Commission’s infringement procedure today is a much needed step in the right direction. However, ad hoc measures against violations in one particular country are not enough. We need a comprehensive mechanism that applies to all Member States equally and objectively, and covers all values laid down in Article 2 of the TEU: democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. We regret that Mr Timmermans has yet to put forward a legislative proposal for such a mechanism, as requested by Parliament.”