Some of the speakers during the debate
MEPs disagreed about whether the EU should support proposals to lift patents for Covid-19 vaccines in a plenary debate on 19 May.
The debate came after the US administration announced in early May that it would back a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights with regard to vaccines and medical products against Covid-19. South Africa and India had proposed the measure in October 2020 and the issue is being discussed within the World Trade Organization. About 60 countries around the world have voiced support.
Global responsibility
Proponents say a waiver of intellectual property rights could improve global access to affordable vaccines and other medical products. Many MEPs pointed out the importance of the EU acting as a global leader.
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Regulation laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence
AI Regulation ). The AI Regulation is the first ever legal framework, globally, focused solely on artificial intelligence (
AI ) and has striking similarities to the GDPR. If adopted as drafted, the AI Regulation would have significant consequences for many organisations who develop, sell or use AI systems, including the introduction of a new set of legal obligations and a monitoring and enforcement regime with hefty penalties for non-compliance.
At its heart, the AI Regulation is focused on the identification and monitoring of high risk AI systems and the key questions for organisations who develop, sell or use AI will be whether the AI system in question is likely to be considered high risk and what this means for those high-risk AI systems if the AI Regulation is adopted, as drafted.