EU to seek daily fines against Poland over justice concerns

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union wants Europe’s top court to impose daily fines on Poland for failing to take action to protect the independence of the country’s justice system In a rare move, the European Commission said Tuesday that it wants the European Court of Justice to “impose financial penalties on Poland to ensure compliance” with a previous legal ruling. The commission is seeking “a daily penalty” until the right-wing government in Warsaw acts to improve the functioning of the Polish Supreme Court and suspends new laws deemed to undermine judicial independence. The move is part of a long-running battle between Brussels and Poland’s nationalist government. Poland’s justice minister said the EU had no right to interfere in how judicial systems are organized in EU nations.