The daily fines imposed on Poland for non-compliance with the order to suspend the disciplinary mechanism for judges currently amount to more than 160 million euros. This was stated by the European Commission, Reuters reported.

The EU and Poland have been at odds for years on issues related to upholding democratic standards and the separation of powers in the eastern country.

Last year, the EU's supreme court fined Poland one million euros a day to prevent what it called "serious and irreparable harm" to the EU's rule of law and values. The European Commission demanded punishment until Warsaw takes action to improve the work of Poland's Supreme Court and suspend new laws that are believed to undermine the independence of the judiciary.

According to media reports, the Polish government still refuses to pay.

The commission said serious concerns about the country's rule of law persisted despite plans by President Andrzej Duda to abolish the legal chamber at the heart of the dispute, the so-called Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court.

The Chamber has the right to remove from office judges whose decisions do not please the ruling authorities.

Duda proposed amending the law on the Supreme Court and closing the controversial chamber. He said his proposal was aimed at helping Poland end its conflict with the European Commission.

In recent years, the Polish government has repeatedly clashed with the EU, which says that changes made by Warsaw to the Polish justice system undermine the principles of democracy and the rule of law.