European Commission says still no agreement with Poland over court system overhaul

Frans Timmermans, the first vice-president of the European Commission, said Monday that a change of government in Warsaw has led to better dialogue as the two sides seek to resolve a dispute over an overhaul of the court system in Poland. However, there is still no agreement, according to the official. “For too long we didn’t have a dialogue, we just exchanged letters,” Timmermans said. A change of government at the start of the year “led to a change of atmosphere in our relationship and it has allowed us… to have a dialogue.” Since Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party won elections in 2015, it has passed laws that give it much greater control over the judicial system. Late last year, EU leaders triggered a sanctioning procedure, Article 7, against Poland. The move could lead the central European country to be stripped of its voting rights.