Look Ahead European Parliament — NATO, COVID-19 Vaccines, GDPR, AI

Brussels (Brussels Morning) This week, the European Parliament convenes committee meetings to discuss and vote on matters related to NATO cooperation — with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg — , COVID-19 vaccines and variants, the GDPR application, artificial intelligence in the culture sector, disinformation and its impact on democracies, and, along with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, the state of the Eurozone.

NATO

On Monday, MEPs will discuss NATO cooperation and how to jointly respond to security challenges. The Parliament is expected to address opportunities for closer cooperation between the EU and NATO on military mobility, the fight against hybrid threats and the use of disruptive and emerging technologies.

MEPs will also assess how the allies can work together in a more interconnected manner, to avoid unilateral initiatives that may threaten the security of allied partners.

COVID-19 vaccines

Also on Monday, the Environment, Public Health and Food Security Committee holds a debate on COVID-19 variants and how effective vaccines are against these mutations. Representatives from the European Medicine Agency, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organisation will answer MEPs’ questions on the safety and efficacy of the inoculations.

The Commission will use the occasion to unveil the HERA Incubator, an EU plan to monitor variants, exchange data and cooperate on adapting vaccines.