The European Commission is to launch a new infringement procedure against Poland over a controversial law calling for a commission to investigate Russian influence.
A letter will be sent to Warsaw with a request to provide more information, EC Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis announced on Wednesday. The spokeswoman said the letter will be sent on Thursday.
Critics accuse the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government of trying to discredit opposition leader and former prime minister Donald Tusk with the law, months before the autumn general election.
According to Polish law, the investigative committee must determine whether public officials succumbed to Russian influence and made decisions detrimental to the country’s security in the years 2007-2022.
This includes, for example, entering into contracts that may have promoted Russian influence and disclosing relevant information to third parties.
After criticism from the EU and the United States, Polish President Andrzej Duda proposed Friday to change the law he had signed a few days earlier. Under the new proposals, the commission will not be able to impose fines. One of these sanctions is disqualification from holding public office for up to 10 years.
D. Tusk headed the Polish government in 2007-2014, and in 2014-2019 served as President of the European Council in Brussels. The PiS government accuses it, among other things, of having concluded unfavorable gas contracts with Russia.
Parties that receive an infringement notice from Brussels generally have two months to respond. The Commission can sue Member States whose national laws repeatedly fail to comply with EU law.
Source: The Delfi
