The European commission said it would carefully study the 12-page letter from the Polish government before giving a detailed response. Frans Timmermans, the European commission vice-president, has said the commission stands ready to launch a formal warning using the article 7 procedure. Slovakia and the Czech Republic took a neutral position when the Polish rule of law stance was discussed among European ministers last May. First, there would need to be a recommendation from the European commission or the European parliament or one-third of member states. The president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, will discuss the issue during a working lunch with Merkel on Wednesday.

Source: The Guardian August 29, 2017 13:58 UTC