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The Employment and Social Affairs Committee will vote on the inter-institutional agreement on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, on 27 January. It will vote on the report on the implementation of the framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and on a resolution on the European Skills Agenda. The protection of workers from risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens will be discussed.

The Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee will go over the implementation of the new architecture for EU information systems for borders, migration and security on 27 January, with Commission and eu-LISA representatives. It will look into European Democracy Action Plan with Commission Vice-President Jourová and discuss the death of Slovak citizen Jozef Chovanec with Commissioner Reynders and representatives of Europol, CEPOL and the International Federation for Human Rights.

The Committee on Development will vote on the report on a new EU-Africa Strategy - a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development, on 27 January. The report addresses the need to revitalise the EU-Africa relationship based on shared values and common interests. It proposes to take into account the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent and calls for human development to be placed at the heart of the future strategy with priority given to health and education.

The Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age will hold a hearing with experts on AI and the Green Deal, on 27 January. The hearing will look into the state of play of AI in the fight against climate change, its role in fulfilling the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), and in Europe’s green recovery plan after the Covid-19 crisis. The hearing will take place in association with the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

The Subcommittee on Security and Defence will go over the new EU-US agenda for global change on 27 January. It will also look into perspectives for a future bilateral dialogue in security and defence that would allow the US to participate in EU military initiates and operations. Representatives of the EEAS, the German Marshall Fund and the Penn Biden Center will participate.

The Subcommittee on Human Rights will discuss the new EU Global Human Rights Sanctions on 27 January. This debate with experts is expected to give a general assessment of the new instrument in the EU’s Human Rights toolbox and go over the possibilities for involvement and oversight by the civil society actors. It will also look into the US perspective, including possibilities for new synergies under the Biden administration.

The Committees on Employment and Social Affairs and on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, will hold a public hearing with experts on the consequences and lessons from the COVID-19 crisis for people living in institutions, with specific focus on the social and human rights perspective. The hearing will be held on 28 January.

The Committee on International Trade will hold a further discussion on the EU-UK trade deal on 28 January. Special emphasis will be put on the immediate trade problems encountered by operators from both sides as of 1 January 2021. The first upcoming issues linked to the implementation of the deal will also be looked into.

The Special Committee on Beating Cancer will hold a hearing with experts on 28 January, to look into ways of delivering the best possible care to cancer patients in the EU. The issues that will be addressed range from cancer drugs to multidisciplinary cancer care, with a specific angle on paediatric and rare cancers and the social determinants in accessing cancer care.