European judges challenge EU approval of Poland’s recovery plan

European judges’ associations challenged in European Union’s General Court a decision to approve Poland’s recovery and resilience plan, they said in a
statement on Sunday.
Poland’s access to 23.9 billion euros ($23.8 billion) in grants and 11.5 billion euros in cheap loans had been blocked due to a dispute over judicial independence.
But in June the European Commission said it was approving Poland’s recovery plan, opening the way for Warsaw to get the cash. The move was approved by the Council of the EU, consisting of European economy and finance ministers.
Four European associations – the Association of European Administrative Judges (AEAJ), the European Association of Judges (EAJ), Rechters voor Rechters and Magistrats Europeens pour la Democratie et les Libertes (MEDEL) – challenged the decision in the General Court of the EU.
“This application seeks the annulment of the Council’s decision … on the grounds that the rule of law ‘milestones’ … fall short of what is required to ensure the effective judicial protection and disregard the judgements of the Court of Justice of the EU on the matter,” they said.
The associations said their legal action did not automatically suspend the effects of the Council’s decision to approve the recovery plan but they said they might lodge interim measures seeking such a suspension.