Belgium, (Brussels Morning) This week, MEPs gather during committee meetings featuring discussions on the EU’s proposed Anti-Coercion instrument, intelligent road transport systems, and political developments in Belarus. Parliament will vote on the 2022 Sakharov Prize and will receive for the second time, a group of pharmaceutical companies to assess COVID-19 vaccines transparency.
Trade
On Monday, the International Trade Committee adopts its position on the EU’s proposed Anti-Coercion Instrument. The new measure would empower the Commission to deploy restrictions on trade and investments as a last resort in case a non-EU country tries or threatens to coerce the EU or any member state into taking specific policy choices.
Intelligent road transport
Still on Monday, the Transport Committee votes on an update to the rules on Intelligent transport systems (ITS) to improve transport digitalisation. ITS apply information and communication technologies, such as a journey planner or eCall, to make mobility safer, more efficient and more comfortable.
Women Speakers
On Wednesday, women speakers of various EU national parliaments, as well as the deputy speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, will gather to discuss the humanitarian situation and assistance to Ukraine’s refugees in EU countries, among other issues.
Belarus
On Thursday, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a leader of the democratic forces in Belarus, will address MEPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee. She is expected to outline her views on the war in Ukraine, the role of Belarus in the conflict and the latest political developments in her country.
2022 Sakharov Prize
MEPs on the Development and Foreign Affairs Committees and the Human Rights Subcommittee will vote, on Thursday, to select three finalists for this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The nominees include the people of Ukraine and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Palestinian-American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Brazilian environmental and indigenous activist Sônia Guajajara and Colombia’s Truth Commission.
COVID-19Following the first debate between MEPs and pharmaceutical companies about procurement and transparency of COVID-19 vaccines, Parliament’s special committee on COVID-19 (COVI) holds on Monday a second debate with pharma companies that worked on vaccines and therapeutics during the COVID-19 pandemic: Pfizer, CureVac, Novavax, Glaxo Smith Kline and HIPRA. The committee will also discuss the global response, the upcoming international pandemic treaty, and the EU Court of Auditors’ evaluation of the EU’s COVID-19 vaccine procurement efforts, on Thursday.
