Please follow this link to watch the live webstream of this event.

Contact-tracing applications use smartphones to alert users if they've been in contact with someone who's had the disease. This Bluetooth-enabled digital tool that can trace cases at scale has the potential to play a key role in all phases of crisis management, especially when time will be ripe to gradually lift social distancing measures. As several Member States have been deploying tracing apps throughout the last few weeks, questions arise about the efficiency, accuracy and privacy-friendly character of this technology.

Some of the biggest issues are making sure there is a critical mass of people signing up, the use of decentralized or centralized contact tracing apps, the mandatory or voluntary character and the need to introduce solid ethical and legal safeguards. The EU Member States, together with the European Commission have developed a Common EU Toolbox to support a common European approach for tracing apps, a Guidance on data protection for mobile apps to set out the features and requirements needed to ensure compliance with EU privacy and personal data protection legislation and a set of technical specifications to ensure a safe exchange of information between national contact tracing apps based on a decentralized architecture.

The STOA Panel has invited high-level experts to discuss the technology behind contact tracing applications, its accuracy, security and effectiveness in breaking the chains of transmission of an infectious disease; the lessons learned so far by their gradual deployment in Europe and the best practices developed to effectively contact trace while maintaining privacy in a centralized or decentralized way; to shed light on the possible impacts of this technology on the protection of personal data and citizens' trust and explore the main ethical concerns relating to the use of this app by individuals; and to examine the adequacy of the current EU legal framework to safeguard the responsible use of these applications.

Programme

15:00-15:05: Introductory remarks

• Eva KAILI, MEP, Chair of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA)

15:05-15:50: Experts' presentations

15:05-15:20: What's the tech and how does it work?

• Marco MARSELLA, Head of Unit, DG CONNECT, European Commission

• Diego CIULLI, Public Policy Manager, Google

15:20-15:35: What are the lessons we have learned so far?

• Professor Michael BACKES, co-developer of the Corona-Warn-App / Chairman and Scientific Director of the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security

• Dr Christof TSCHOHL, Research Director at the Research Institute / Red Cross Austria - Stopp Corona-App

  
  

15:35-16:50 - Privacy risks, data security and possible effects on civil rights

• Leonardo CERVERA NAVAS, Director of European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)

• Professor Ross ANDERSON, Computer Laboratory - University of Cambridge

15:50-16:25: Discussion

16:25-16:30: Closing remarks

• Petra DE SUTTER, MEP, Member of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA)

At the hearing, there were presentations on three case studies: (Germany, Romania and Italy), and on the views of the European Institutions (OLAF, European Court of Justice, European Public Prosecutor's Office and the European Parliament).

In 2018, judicial authorities in Member States took 319 decisions on the follow-up of OLAF's recommendations: in almost two-third of the decisions taken (203) the OLAF cases were dismissed; in 116 cases the judicial authorities pressed charges. It would appear that judicial authorities of some Member States do not regard the follow-up of OLAF's recommendations on misuse of EU money as a priority. An essential factor effecting the follow-up to OLAF's recommendations relates to the admissibility of evidence collected by OLAF in national judicial proceedings.

The hearing will provide AFET Members with more insights on foreign policy consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak from leading experts in the area.

For operational reasons during the coronavirus crisis, this online event is only open to members of the EP community.

Please follow this link to watch the live webstream of this event.

The term nanotechnology has been around for a while, but recent advancements and applications of nanoscience are revolutionizing the fields of biology and medicine. Nano-sized artificial molecular motors and machines are created using biological molecules, while nanomedicine is utilized to target cancer cells, deliver drugs and fight antibiotic resistant bacteria.

The recent coronavirus crisis shows how the field of nanobiosensors may be key to finding innovative solutions for a quick response, and also to cope with future infectious outbreaks. And yet the discussion about the ethics of nanotechnology is ongoing: great opportunities come with huge responsibilities.

The aim of this online STOA workshop is to highlight how the latest developments in nanotechnology are transforming biology and medicine; how nanotechnology is being used to fight the coronavirus as well as future pandemics; and to discuss consumer perception of nanotechnology as well as responsible research and innovation in Europe.

Programme

14:30 - 14:40 Welcome by Lina GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ, MEP and STOA Panel Member

14:40 - 15:55 Presentations

• Nano comes to life: how nanotechnology is transforming medicine and the future of biology
  Sonia CONTERA, Associate Professor of Biological Physics at Oxford Physics Department, author of Nano Comes to Life, Oxford, United Kingdom

• Nanobiosensors in fight against coronavirus
  Laura M. LECHUGA, CSIC Research Professor and Group Leader of ICN2 Nanobiosensors and Bioanalytical Applications Group, head of CONVAT project, Barcelona, Spain

• Ethics, and responsible research and innovation in nanotechnology
  Maurizio SALVI, Senior Policy Analyst, Unit RTD.03 - Chief Scientific Advisors, Scientific Advice Mechanism, European Commission
  

• Consumer perception of nanotechnology
  Roxanne VAN GIESEN, Senior researcher consumer research at CentERdata, Tilburg, The Netherlands

15:55 - 16:20 Panel Discussion

16:20 - 16:30 Closing remarks by Lina GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ and Petra DE SUTTER, both MEP and STOA Panel Members

For operational reasons during the coronavirus crisis, this online event is only open to members of the EP community.

Please follow this link to watch the live webstream of this event.

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In the digital age, citizens need to manage a range of online identities that are linked, in different ways, to their offline identity. In managing these identities and entering into agreements, citizens navigate a complex legal and technical infrastructure. As digital identities become increasingly important, it is worth considering how this infrastructure can be made more trustworthy, empowering users while increasing the availability of data and ensuring citizens' safety and privacy. This roundtable discussion will examine novel technologies and cutting-edge ideas about how to build such a trust infrastructure, including public policies, legal frameworks, business models and technical standards. This Roundtable is organised in cooperation with ELONTech and the IoT Council in the context of the work on identity of the Strategy Team of Next Generation Internet, a European Commission initiative to reimagine and reengineer the internet for the third millennium and beyond.

Programme

15:00-15:05: Introductory remarks

• Eva KAILI, MEP, Chair of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA)

15:05-15:45: Experts' presentations and Q&A

• Remy KNECHT, COO of ITSME.be

• Daniel DU SEUIL, Convenor European Self Sovereign Identity Framework (EBSI)

• Loretta ANANIA, Scientific Officer at DG Connect, European Commission

• Thibaut VERBIEST, Head of Regulatory Affairs Europe & Africa at Diginex, ELONTech Advisor

• Petros KAVASSALIS, Associate Professor at University of the Aegean, ELONTech Advisor

15:45-16:25: Discussion

16:25-16:30: Closing remarks

• Ivars IJABS, MEP, 2nd Vice-Chair of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA)

Speakers included representatives from the Commission, the European Court of Auditors, from regional/national authorities, an investigative journalist and an expert on rule of law.

The first panel allowed the Commission to present its role to make sure that EU funds are well managed and controlled effectively in shared management. Then the European Court of Auditors explained possible improvements to make management and control systems more effective.

The second panel started with a presentation by Commissioner Reynders on how conditionality, rule of law and the EPPO will be beneficial to shared management. Then Member States' representatives at both national and regional levels shared their experiences on the cooperation with the Commission, identified any shortcomings and areas for improvement and provided input, advice or suggestion on how management and control systems in shared management programs could be made more effective.