EU official says Poland’s judiciary changes insufficient

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A patched-up dispute between the European Union and Poland over judicial independence has revived. A top EU official said Thursday that new Polish regulations did not meet expectations, threatening the flow of billions of euros in EU recovery funds to Warsaw. The new regulations signed into law by Polish President Andrzej Duda will take effect July 15. Poland was also expected to take other steps, or “milestones,” to ensure judicial independence before it could start receiving the $39 billion.Vera Jourova, Vice-President of the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said the new regulations “do not meet” the required criteria and the funds will not be paid before Poland’s judges have their independence guaranteed in a legally binding way.