At a conference in Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Gowin argued that a compromise on the EU budget and the conditionality mechanism was possible. – Even if not in the form of reopening the discussion on the shape of this regulation, then in the form of binding interpretative declarations – he said.
Jaroslaw Gowin
/Piotr Molecki/East News /East News
Gowin spoke to EU commissioners in Brussels. The talks concerned, among others EU budget and reconstruction fund.
As the deputy prime minister said, during the talks he tried to explain the reasons for which Poland raises reservations about the current shape of the conditionality mechanism. On the other hand – as he emphasized – he presented arguments indicating the possibility of a compromise.
In his opinion, a provisional budget would be something unfavorable for Poland and other EU countries, contrary to some opinions in the Polish public debate. – That is why I believe that it is in the interest of all Europeans to find a good compromise. (…) Such a compromise is possible even if not in the form of reopening the discussion on the shape of this regulation (regarding conditionality), but in the form of binding interpretative declarations – he said.
He stressed that the “interpretative declaration” could be prepared by the legal services of the European Commission. – However, it would have to be confirmed by the European Council. There is certainly a focus here – the clear position of the European Council that the principle of conditionality will not be used to exert unjustified pressure on individual Member States on issues other than the fair use of EU funds, he said.
He added that he believed that an agreement would be reached. – We are all aware that a possible veto will not only automatically trigger the provisional budget procedure, but may also trigger what my interlocutors called plan B, a plan they talk about very reluctantly, and which they do not completely exclude, i.e. some form of cooperation between 25 other EU countries – he stressed.
He stressed that during the meetings in Brussels, he drew attention to the discrepancies between the guidelines formulated in July by the European Council and the shape of the draft regulation that was given to him under the influence of the European Parliament.
– Poland does not raise the slightest objections to such a formula of the conditionality principle, which links the allocation of full budget funds with transparent and fair use of them. We are one of the European leaders when it comes to the fair use of EU funds. However, it is hard not to notice that many of the vague elements contained not only in the preamble, but also in the second article of this draft regulation, may be subject to very different interpretations, may be used in the future to subject other Member States – today Poland and Hungary, and in the future south or other countries – unjustified pressure, he said.
He added that Poland wants to be sure that the conditionality principle only applies to issues related to the transparent and fair use of EU funds.
Łukasz Osiński from Brussels
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