Amnesty International
Quote
17 April 2018
EU: ‘Cosmetic changes’ offered by Poland fail to address rule of law issues
- Spokespeople available
- Comparison of recent Polish proposals and EU recommendations available
Ahead of today’s EU General Affairs Council during which Poland will be discussed, Barbora Cernusakova, researcher at Amnesty International said:
“The Polish government is trying to convince the EU that it has changed its ways. But this alleged compromise does nothing to diminish the real threat that reforms to the judiciary pose to the rule of law in Poland. People in Poland deserve, and are demanding, more than cosmetic touches from the new Polish government.”
In December 2017, the European Commission (EC) asked the Polish government to implement a set of recommendations to defend judicial independence in the country. These were to address concerns over political control of the Supreme Court, the Common Courts and the judiciary in general.
In April 2018, Poland responded with proposed legislative changes. Amnesty International believes these fail to address the EC’s concerns.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Amnesty International press office on [email protected] +32 2 548 27 73 or +32 483 680 812