Today, the European Commission discussed the state of play of the ongoing procedure concerning the Rule of Law in Poland and decided to issue a complementary Rule of Law Recommendation, taking into account the latest developments in Poland that have occurred since the Commission's Recommendation of 27 July 2016. The Commission considers that whereas some of the issues raised in its last Recommendation have been addressed, important issues remain unresolved, and new concerns have arisen in the meantime. The Commission also considers that the procedure which led to the appointment of a new President of the Tribunal raised serious concerns as regards the rule of law.

The Commission invites the Polish Government to solve the problems identified in this Rule of Law Recommendation as a matter of urgency, within 2 months, and to inform the Commission of the steps taken to that effect. The Commission stands ready to pursue a constructive dialogue with the Polish Government on the basis of this Recommendation.

The Recommendation, the press release and a Q&A will be available online.