WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The European Union disbursed 6.3 billion euros (about $6.7 billion) to Poland as a part of the 27-nation bloc’s post-pandemic recovery fund, the biggest single transfer ever to the country, a government minister said Monday.

Poland’s former national conservative governmen t, voted out of power in October, made changes to the judiciary which the EU said violated democratic checks and balances, and so decided to block the money.

The European Commission had said at the time Poland must meet certain “milestones” to guarantee the independence of the judiciary to get the funds. Brussels emphasized that an independent judiciary is vital to respecting hte EU’s democratic norms, while some also argue that independent courts boost investors’ confidence in the country’s ability to adjudicate commercial disputes.

Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Poland’s minister of funds and regional policy, hailed the move while stressing that the value of EU membership goes beyond money.