EC will debate rule of law in Poland
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The European Commission said on Sunday that it would debate the rule of law in Poland this month during the first stage of a potentially-punitive procedure after Warsaw seized control of public broadcasters, the AFP agency informed.
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker "has placed a first debate on the rule of law in Poland on the agenda of the commission's meeting on January 13," a statement said in reference to a controversial media law approved by parliament on Wednesday.
"Many reasons exist for us to activate the 'Rule of Law mechanism' and for us to place Warsaw under monitoring," EU Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said an interview with Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper.
The Rule of Law mechanism was set up in March 2014 to tackle "systemic threats to the rule of law". According to the new law, the head of the Polish public radio and television will be dismissed and replaced by three-member boards “appointed and dismissed by the Minister of the Treasury.” Critics say the amendment is part of PiS's plan to increase state control over public media.
