EC releases EUR 76.5 billion in structural funds for Poland until 2027
Poland has met the conditions necessary to unlock EUR 76 billion in structural funds from Brussels over the next three years, the European Commission (EC), the EU's executive arm, has announced.
The resources have been earmarked for Poland in the EU's long-term budget for the years 2021-2027 but the EC withheld them in October 2022 as a result of a long-standing dispute over changes to the judiciary made by the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government.
Following Poland's October 2023 general election, the new pro-European government has taken steps to "restore" the rule of law.
In response, the EC has unblocked resources allocated for Poland from the EU's post-pandemic recovery fund.
On Thursday, the EC said in a statement on its website that Poland had adopted the rule of law reforms and had taken immediate steps to address the milestones to strengthen judicial independence.
"Following the above-mentioned reforms, the Commission considers that Poland now fulfils the horizontal enabling condition related to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, allowing Poland to access up to EUR 76.5 billion for its 2021–2027 Cohesion Policy, European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Home Affairs funding programmes," the statement said.
Later in the day, Stefan De Keersmaecker, the EC spokesman confirmed in Brussels that the EC had released EUR 76.5 billion for Poland in cohesion funding. (PAP)
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