EU General Court upholds €320M fine on Poland over judicial reforms

The General Court of the European Union has upheld the European Commission's decision to enforce Polandâs payment of approximately 8320.2 million in penalties. These fines were imposed due to Polandâs failure to comply with an interim measure issued by the Court of Justice regarding judicial reforms enacted in December 2019. In 2021, the European Commission initiated infringement proceedings against Poland, arguing that the judicial reforms violated EU law. The Court of Justice ordered Poland to suspend certain contested provisions, but Poland did not comply, leading to a penalty of 81 million per day until compliance was achieved. The General Court's decision confirms that the Commission acted within its rights to withhold funds from Poland to enforce compliance. This ruling underscores the EU's commitment to upholding judicial independence and the rule of law among member states.