The change in the EU treaties means that Poland may be forced to adopt the euro, says Prof. Waldemar Gontarski, former Polish representative to the CJEU.
Last week, the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFEC) adopted a report recommending changes to the EU treaties – on the European Union and on the functioning of the European Union.
The main proposals include the abolition of the principle of unanimity in EU Council voting in 65 areas and the transfer of powers from Member State level to EU level. by creating two new exclusive EU competences – in the areas of environmental protection and biodiversity (Article 3 TFEU), and by significantly expanding shared competences (Article 4), which would cover eight new areas: foreign and security policy, border protection , forestry, healthcare, civil protection, industry and education.
The document also provides for a simplification of the procedure for suspending membership of countries that violate ‘EU values’ such as ‘the rule of law’, ‘democracy’, ‘freedom’, ‘human rights’ or ‘equality’.
Opponents of the report’s solutions emphasize that these concepts are too general, meaning they can be interpreted in almost any way. Other provisions controversial among opponents of the changes include further strengthening the position of the European Commission and the idea of introducing the institution of an EU-wide referendum.
Changing EU treaties. Prof. warns Gontarski
Prof. Waldemar Gontarski, lawyer, advocate and former Polish representative at the Court of Justice of the EU, asked on Radio Wnet what the planned change to the EU treaties means and said that “theoretically it means nothing if we, Poland, do not agree to agree. , but it forced “The change is so far-reaching that it could be introduced without ratification in the Member States.” – And this would be a serious violation of international law – he added.
He explained that the EU institutions are “silently, in violation of the treaties and at the expense of the Member States, allocating powers to themselves”. – And in theory they only have as much power as the member states have given them in ratified treaties – he emphasized.
According to Gontarski, Poland could be forced to adopt the euro after such a reform. – Now we have the obligation to introduce the euro, but we do not have to do it on a specific date, so this obligation does not exist, he said.
Glapiński: Adopting the euro now would be detrimental to Poland
The President of the National Bank of Poland, Adam Glapiński, said at the beginning of October that the discussion about Poland’s entry into the eurozone can only begin when our country reaches the level of prosperity of Germany and France. – However, now it is a shortcut (…) and an attempt to avoid the problem of the Prime Minister and the President of the NBP having to submit such a proposal at the same time – he emphasized.
According to him, changing the EU treaties “will mean the liquidation of the zloty – the end of our independence, our own monetary policy.” – This avoids the problem that individual countries joining the eurozone have to decide for themselves – he added.
As Glapiński explained, one of the reasons that Poland’s entry into the eurozone would currently be unfavorable is “the inability to conduct a monetary policy tailored to the needs of the domestic economy and the limitations in conducting its own budgetary policy.”
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
