Highlights

The need to repay NGEU debt, newly emerging potential genuine own re-sources, and mounting long term challenges for the EU have provided new impulses to the long-standing debate about a fundamental reform of the EU system of own resources. This study assesses recent legislative proposals for the new own resources included in the interinstitutional roadmap agreed together with the NextGenerationEU programme.

The EU is streamlining the European Financial Architecture for Development (EFAD), which includes several EU, European and MS institutions funding EU development goals. Organised for DEVE, this workshop considered the EFAD and its future. Two panels explored scenarios, the EU’s plans, and the potential for better coordination and policy guidance of the institutions involved – including the EIB, the EBRD and others in the EU and Member States – with a ‘Team Europe’ approach.

SMEs will play a key role in the green transition, especially in improving the energy efficiency of housing. However, to achieve this, diversified funding will be needed. The study requested by the ECON committee looks at how COVID-19-influenced CMU (Capital Markets Union) initiatives can help SMEs, especially microenterprises working in the green economy, to get access to finance. It concludes that the CMU package is helpful but that more could be done.

There is a growing need in fisheries science and management for larger amounts of data and highly trained experts, in which digitalisation and AI should play a central role. This study reviews current AI systems legislation, the AI techniques definition proposed by the AI Act and main applications of AI methods in the fisheries sector. It offers policy recommendations to achieve a better use of AI systems in the fisheries sector.

Policing requires legitimacy, transparency and accountability. This study provides background information concerning police ethics, accountability and oversight across the EU. It shows that existing EU tools and instruments can contribute to enhance police accountability. It also identifies some gaps and weaknesses. Recommendations are provided in order to remedy the gaps and weaknesses.

This study analyses the obstacles to democratic, transparent and efficient decision-making in urgency situations at EU level. It provides a systematic overview of Parliament’s role and functions as well as interinstitutional cooperation during recent crisis situations. It also provides recommendations on how to improve the existing set-up and Parliament’s emergency procedures.