Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago
Legislating for Future Generations: Trends and Challenges in Impact Assessment and Anticipatory Policy-Making
EPRS Conference on Foresight and Better Law-Making | Thursday 7 March and Friday 8 March 2024
Opening speech by Marc ANGEL, Vice-President of the European Parliament
What is this event about?
A few months ahead of the 2024 European elections and of the definition of EU priorities for 2024-2029, time has come to assess the role of the 2021 Better Regulation framework supporting co-legislators when drafting EU legislation, which for the first time included foresight in the EU legislative toolbox.
In the meantime, the EU and its Member States are faced with an unprecedented number of major challenges at geopolitical, geo-economic, climate change and democratic levels. How the EU will respond in quantitative and qualitative terms will impact the life of EU citizens and of our future generations.
By definition, foresight can in no way predict what may happen but is a convincing method to try and reduce uncertainties, analyse risks, prepare mitigation measures, be prepared for new opportunities and help decision-makers make the right choices. This conference intends to bring together experts from EU institutions and national parliaments but also from key international partners to learn about best practices and pave the way for further cooperation.
EPRS publication related to this event: The use of strategic foresight in Commission impact assessments: Existing practices and the way forward: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2024/757801/EPRS_BRI(2024)757801_EN.pdf
Legislating for Future Generations: Trends and Challenges in Impact Assessment and Anticipatory Policy-Making
EPRS Conference on Foresight and Better Law-Making | Thursday 7 March and Friday 8 March 2024
Opening speech by Marc ANGEL, Vice-President of the European Parliament
What is this event about?
A few months ahead of the 2024 European elections and of the definition of EU priorities for 2024-2029, time has come to assess the role of the 2021 Better Regulation framework supporting co-legislators when drafting EU legislation, which for the first time included foresight in the EU legislative toolbox.
In the meantime, the EU and its Member States are faced with an unprecedented number of major challenges at geopolitical, geo-economic, climate change and democratic levels. How the EU will respond in quantitative and qualitative terms will impact the life of EU citizens and of our future generations.
By definition, foresight can in no way predict what may happen but is a convincing method to try and reduce uncertainties, analyse risks, prepare mitigation measures, be prepared for new opportunities and help decision-makers make the right choices. This conference intends to bring together experts from EU institutions and national parliaments but also from key international partners to learn about best practices and pave the way for further cooperation.
EPRS publication related to this event: The use of strategic foresight in Commission impact assessments: Existing practices and the way forward: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2024/757801/EPRS_BRI(2024)757801_EN.pdf
![Use of collaborative industrial robots in Europe [Science and Technology Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pW4ytI4GFwA/mqdefault.jpg "Use of collaborative industrial robots in Europe [Science and Technology Podcast]
Robot applications, including collaborative robots – cobots – designed to collaborate with humans, are in high demand, with sales and installation figures constantly on the rise. However, it is necessary to analyse the risks and opportunities of this technology and its possible social, economic, and ethical impacts. The following study presents the current state of collaborative robotics, its benefits, and its disadvantages, with a special emphasis on key aspects such as safety. It presents possible policy options to enable the EU to remain at the forefront of this technology by taking advantage of the opportunities and avoiding the potential risks.
🔎 See the paper publication behind this podcast: Analysis exploring risks and opportunities linked to the use of collaborative industrial robots in Europe ⤵️
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_STU(2023)740259
🎧 Subscribe to EPRS Science and Technology Podcasts:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/audio-podcasts.html")
![Recognition of parenthood between EU countries [Policy Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q314a0iM28A/mqdefault.jpg "Recognition of parenthood between EU countries [Policy Podcast]
Families in the European Union (EU) are increasingly likely to move and travel between the EU Member States. Yet, given the differences in Member States laws, parents can face difficulties in having their parenthood recognised when crossing borders within the EU. Non‑recognition in one Member State of parenthood established in another Member State can have significant adverse consequences for children and their parents who are moving to another Member State or returning to their Member State of origin.
Subscribe to EPRS Policy Podcasts: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/audio-podcasts.html
See the paper publication behind this podcast:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2023)754562")
![What if Europe championed new AI hardware? [Science and Technology Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q8qJWZQPpFM/mqdefault.jpg "What if Europe championed new AI hardware? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Current state-of-the-art hardware is not optimised for machine learning, and both academic and private sector research is already leading to new designs. At the same time, the need for more time- and energy-efficient machine-learning hardware is increasing as more consumers and companies want access to machine-learning applications. The EU has the opportunity to leverage its strong regulatory framework for AI products as a mark of trust and safety, while also investing to support the next generation of hardware, opening up a new market for Europes high tech industry. What would happen if the EU formulated a cohesive plan to support these technologies through both research and economic policy?
See the publication behind this podcast:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2024)762881
🎧 Listen to our podcasts reporting on the latest science and technology developments, looking into the impact they will have on our lives and capturing their policy implications:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/european-parliament-eprs-science/id1110775762?mt=2
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6XP9MnZdCDTnyDWXeDdnPx
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPPfzoqPUImWL0O8VTtTNK1DTxiWxLJow&si=CBMMt4RYOllhxBbz
#AI")
