Poland will receive another billion euros from the KPO. The EU Commissioner for Justice arrives

That EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders is to visit Warsaw to start negotiations on how to unlock further billions of euros of EU funds. This information was provided by the Financial Times.

– We need something that does not require the president’s approval, but is at the same time as binding as possible – one of the EU officials in the context of disbursement of funds from the KPO.

Reynders in Warsaw. Bodnar in constant contact with the EC

Didier Reynders’ visit to Warsaw is primarily aimed at determining the details regarding the implementation of the so-called milestones. Mainly law-abiding ones. “The commissioner is to talk with Sikorski, among others, about Poland’s compliance with the judgments of the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Convention on Human Rights, with Szłapka – about progress in achieving milestones in the independence of the judiciary under the KPO, and with Bodnar – about the state of the judiciary and the actions taken in connection with Poland’s announcement of its intention to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office” – . According to “Rz”, Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar is in constant contact with Brussels and keeps the European Commission informed about progress in restoring the rule of law in Poland.

EUR 7 billion for Poland in April

Meanwhile, our country will finally receive the first tranche of EUR 7 billion from the main KPO in April. In December last year, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, requested this. Yesterday, she announced that further funds from the tranche of almost EUR 60 million allocated to reforms related to education, health care and green transformation have arrived in Poland. PLN 1 million will be allocated for new places in nurseries, which will create 47.5 thousand new places. PLN 20 million 300 thousand will be allocated for the modernization of small and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural sector. For creating jobs for excluded people – PLN 2 million, 800 thousand, and for computers for schools – over PLN 96 million. “Further payments will be made soon,” the minister declared on the X platform.

On the air of Program 3 of Polish Radio, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz emphasized that the funds from the KPO will translate into improvement in many economic and social aspects in Poland. The first advance payment comes from the RePowerEU program (the application was submitted by the Morawiecki government – ed.), i.e. an addition to the National Reconstruction Plan, which is not dependent on meeting the so-called milestones.

– Therefore, we have the opportunity to pay out money for specific projects that have been prepared. These projects include support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of fishing and agriculture, for modernization and infrastructure, said the minister.

On Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Finance Hanna Majszczyk announced that, as expected, approximately PLN 77 billion will be transferred to Poland from the KPO in 2024. – In addition to what was planned and what was received at the end of last year in this advance part, approximately PLN 37 billion is expected from the grant part and approximately PLN 40 billion in the loan part – she said.

KPO for Poland

The National Reconstruction Plan amounts to almost EUR 60 billion, including just over EUR 25 billion in non-repayable grants and EUR 34.5 billion in cheap loans. Poland must spend this money by 2026, so there is less and less time for investments.

The money from the main KPO has been blocked so far because the European Commission accused Poland of violating the rule of law and demanded changes to guarantee the independence of the judiciary. After the change of government, some in the Commission emphasized that statutory changes were needed to unlock the money. Now we can hear more and more often that legislative changes are not necessary, and only regulations based on the case law of the European Court of Justice are enough. Especially since the new Polish government has already submitted an application to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which ensures the correct spending of EU funds.

The deputy head of the European Commission expressed hope for quick progress in unblocking the Polish KPO. Valdis Dombrovskis talked about it in Brussels, on the occasion of a meeting of finance ministers of EU countries. He emphasized that the Commission is cooperating intensively with the Polish authorities and that yesterday he talked about this matter with the new Minister of Finance.

– The new government shows great willingness to engage and address issues related to the rule of law, including judicial reform, so we hope that progress will be achieved soon on the Polish reconstruction plan and the first payment – said the deputy head of the Commission.

Poland has so far received an advance payment of EUR 5 billion from the KPO, which was not conditional on meeting any conditions, unlike the remaining amount. In addition to the request for the payment of EUR 7 billion, Warsaw will submit four applications worth EUR 23 billion later this year.