But spokesman Piotr Muller said Poland and Hungary were maintaining their position that any assessment of adherence to the rule of law should be a separate issue from pay-outs of EU budget funds.
He was speaking after the Polish and Hungarian prime ministers met in Warsaw on Tuesday evening for the latest in a series of talks about a proposal to tie access to cash from Brussels with the rule of law.
Warsaw and Budapest oppose such a mechanism, which was put forward last month during the German presidency of the EU.
Poland and Hungary have warned that unless the plan is changed they will veto the bloc’s 2021-2027 long-term budget.
The two countries both deny accusations by Brussels of violating democratic principles and undermining the independence of their courts.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki held talks with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban on Tuesday to discuss their countries’ stance.
Jarosław Kaczyński, the head of Poland’s governing conservatives, also met Orban, as did the leaders of two smaller parties in Poland’s ruling coalition.
After the meeting, the Polish government spokesman said there was a chance of an agreement at a summit of European leaders taking place on Thursday and Friday.
But he added: "If nothing changes compared to now, of course there will be little room for a compromise.”
Morawiecki has told EU leaders his country opposes the use of “non-objective criteria” to decide how much funds member states receive from the bloc.
(pk)
Source: PAP/Polish Radio
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