The first money for Poland from the Reconstruction Fund is almost certain – informs TVN24 correspondent in Brussels, Maciej Sokołowski. The item regarding the acceptance of the Polish KPO was included in the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting of the European Commission, and the heads of EU commissioners’ cabinets did not add any reservations to this item and did not even plan to discuss it. All this means that there should be no controversy and the college in Strasbourg will tomorrow open the way to paying Poland an advance payment – over EUR 5 billion.
As Maciej Sokołowski explains, after the Commission’s positive recommendation, the matter will be considered by EU ministers, who must finally accept the plan at the Council on December 8, but even here diplomats do not anticipate any difficulties and the first funds should appear on the Polish account at the beginning of next year.
Money for the energy transformation
EUR 5 billion, i.e. over PLN 22 billion, is money under the RePowerEU program, created as part of the Reconstruction Fund to support the energy transformation and moving away from Russian fossil fuels.
Poland applied for these funds at the end of August, sending a new, modified one to Brussels National Reconstruction Plan. Its acceptance is associated with the payment of advances from this program, but what is crucial in this matter – with this assessment European Commission it does not take into account issues related to the rule of law and does not check whether any milestones have been achieved, including those related to the judiciary – hence it is much easier to obtain consent on this matter, neither new laws nor a new government had to appear.
The TVN24 correspondent reminds that the consent to modify the KPO and pay the advance does not mean that Polish funds from the Reconstruction Fund have been unblocked. To reach the entire pot, it is almost EUR 60 billion, it is still necessary to meet milestones regarding the Polish judiciary. The Commission is still waiting for changes in disciplinary procedures against Polish judges, without which the Polish government cannot even send the first payment application.
After a conversation with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the end of October Donald Tusk he said in Brussels that not laws would be enough to unblock the KPO, but actual moves prepared by his new government. Only this would make it possible to release all the funds for which Poland has been waiting for two and a half years, and not only for the payment of the first EUR 5 billion in the form of an advance.
Main photo source: Shutterstock