Highlights

The ANIT Committee organised a workshop focused on the following topics: particular welfare needs in animal transport (unweaned animals and pregnant females, aquatic animals), sea vessels and practices in third countries.

The expanding non-profit area needs its own specific EU statute. This study contains an analysis of the main laws on non-profit organisations. It discusses a possible legislative initiative on the subject and provides options. The study argues that the EU should introduce a European status, which should seek to also include organisations from the third sector and the social economy.

The study looks at the largest 50 beneficiaries in each EU Member State of CAP and cohesion funds. The report provides the findings based on the analysis of more than 12 million beneficiaries of the common agricultural policy (CAP) in 2018 and 2019 and about 600 000 beneficiaries receiving cohesion funds between 2014 and 2020. It identifies the largest direct and ultimate beneficiaries of EU funds.

Digital technologies are part of many states' toolkits for repression. The EU's response to 'digital authoritarism' has become more comprehensive, but can be further enhanced. The study, requested by the DROI committee, analyses evolving human rights norms that apply to digital technologies. The study describes global trends, including developments related to COVID-19 and the EU's external policy. The authors propose greater regulation and pressure on third countries and the private sector.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the transformative potential to contribute to the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal, but it can also create adverse environmental effects. The study requested by the AIDA committee looks at both the potential of artificial intelligence for the green transition, e.g. using big data to tackle environ-mental challenges, and the potential downsides. The authors make recommendations on how to better align the deployment of AI with environmental goals.

Over recent years, the EU has increased efforts to strengthen its resilience to hybrid threats. A model of preparedness based on the notions of ‘whole-of-society’, ‘whole-of-government’ and ‘societal resilience’ has gained ground. The precise meaning of resilience and its exact relationship to hybrid threats and the whole-of-society approach require clarification. The study also analyses some best practices in this approach from three case studies and provides proposals for further actions.