During the Council meeting, EU ministers discussed the closure of the procedure under Article 7 of the EU Treaty against Poland. "The cooperation of Poland with the Venice Commission was appreciated, among other things," emphasized Minister Adam Bodnar.

The head of the Ministry of Justice admitted that the procedure under Article 7 of the EU Treaty harmed Poland's reputation, so its withdrawal is extremely important for us. However, the end of the procedure will not release Poland from the obligation to respect EU law. "We will continue to be analyzed in terms of compliance with the rule of law," emphasized Minister Adam Bodnar, speaking about the standard, annual procedure for reviewing the rule of law in EU Member States.

"We are not wasting a single day and keep working on rebuilding the rule of law in Poland. It is a difficult, complicated process, conditioned by various circumstances," noted the Minister. He thanked the Vice-President of the European Commission, Věra Jourová, for presenting the opportunity to discuss the situation in Poland at the Council of the European Union.

Minister Adam Bodnar presented to the General Affairs Council of the EU the state of work on restoring the rule of law in Poland. He recalled that since the beginning of the year, by his decision, all proceedings requiring the consent of the National Council of the Judiciary in the field of judicial appointments have been suspended. This is just one example of several non-legislative measures by which the government recognizes and implements the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union. No disciplinary proceedings are initiated against judges who appeal to EU law and EU courts for their opinion on matters relating to the rule of law in Poland.

In accordance with the Act on the National Council of the Judiciary adopted by the Sejm, the members of the Council will be elected – in accordance with the Constitution – by judges, not by politicians. This depoliticization is a fundamental step forward, addressing systemic issues in judicial appointments, nominations and promotions that have been building up over the years, creating structural legal uncertainty throughout the judicial system.

As Minister Adam Bodnar emphasized, the ministry he heads strives in all its efforts to reconcile what may seem seemingly irreconcilable: quick, effective legislative action on the one hand, and strong involvement of civil society in ensuring the highest standards of the democratic process.

"There are still cases pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union or the European Court of Human Rights, which concern various issues important from the point of view of rebuilding the rule of law. We have further legislative stages ahead of us. For example, the separation of the office of Prosecutor General and Minister of Justice aroused great interest as one of the reforms that is important from the point of view of restoring the rule of law," Minister Adam Bodnar enumerated Poland's actions to restore the rule of law.