EU Court Upholds €320M Fine Against Poland Over Judicial Reforms

The ruling confirms the European Commission's authority to withhold payments for Poland's failure to comply with EU law on judicial independence.

The EU General Court upheld a €320 million fine imposed on Poland for failing to dismantle its controversial judicial disciplinary chamber promptly.
The fines, initially €1 million per day, were later reduced to €500,000 daily after partial reforms were implemented by Poland in 2023.
Poland argued the fine should have been halved earlier, but the court dismissed this claim, stating the reduction applied only to future payments.
The European Commission withheld the fine from funds allocated to Poland in 2022 and 2023, a move deemed lawful by the court.
Poland, now led by a pro-rule of law government, has two months to appeal the decision to the EU Court of Justice.