Brussels (Brussels Morning) This week, the European Parliament convenes as committee and political group meetings feature the new multilingual platform of the Conference on the Future of Europe, debates on the Climate Law, Health Union and preparedness, Turkey’s relations with the EU, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Conference on the Future of Europe
On Monday, the Co-Chairs of the Executive Board of the Conference — Parliament’s Guy Verhofstadt, the Council Presidency’s Ana Paula Zacarias and European Commission VP Dubravka Šuica — will present the multilingual digital platform for the Conference on the Future of Europe, a communication tool expected to allow EU citizens to contribute to the Conference directly.
On the same day, under the Committee on Culture and Education, the Parliament’s Panels for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) will discuss and review a study on disinformation and science, focusing on a survey dealing with the susceptibility of students to false scientific news.
Climate Law
On Tuesday, MEPs and the Council’s Portuguese Presidency will seek to further agreement on the EU’s climate law, which, as part of the European Green Deal, would make it a legal requirement for the EU to become climate-neutral by 2050.
Parliament has played an important role in pushing for a more ambitious EU climate framework, having declared a climate emergency in 2019.
Health Union
On Thursday, members of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee will hold discussions on the EU Health Union package with Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.
MEPs and the Commissioner will cover extensions to the mandates of key EU health agencies, among them, the European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Control and Disease Prevention, the Beating Cancer Plan and the pharmaceutical strategy.
As part of the EU Health Union, MEPs are also set to discuss the creation of the HERA Incubator and the recently created agency, the European Health and Digital Agency (HaDEA).
With several EU countries starting to ease pandemic restrictions at home, MEPs will address representatives of the World Health Organisation as they look to focus on the global dimension of the pandemic response.
Artificial Intelligence
Following the European Commission’s presentation of the EU law on the use of AI, due on Wednesday, and in view of ensuring that EU values and rights are respected, the Legal Affairs Committee will hold its review the upcoming proposal with Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, on Thursday.
Turkey
On Thursday, MEPs in the Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on the EU’s relationship with Turkey. In particular, the Parliament will assess Turkey’s agreement on migration, its role and presence in Cyprus, illegal drilling and exploring in the Eastern Mediterranean, breaches of the rule of law, and its military and political involvement in Libya, Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh. The final outcome won’t be made public before Friday.
