BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is referring Poland to Europe’s top court over long-standing concerns about respect for the rule of law and the independence of the country’s Supreme Court judges. The bloc’s executive commission had previously warned Poland that it might go to the European Court of Justice if the government did not take action to fix the problems. The EU’s justice commissioner on Wednesday called the court referral “a crucial step” in the infraction process against Poland. The European Commission considers Poland in violation of EU law for allowing the country’s Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court to make decisions which have a direct impact on judges and the way they do their jobs.
