The European Commission should propose European Union regulations on “the fast-evolving field of robotics”. The aim is to focus, amongst other things, on compliance with ethical standards and, in the case of accidents, on responsibility involving unmanned vehicles. Drones, industrial robots, healthcare robots or entertainment robots are also affected (see Droit des robots au Parlement européen : un rapport idéologique sur une question légitime – Right of robots in the European Parliament: an ideological report on a legitimate question).
Given the increase in the use of robots in everyday life (see Japon : ces robots qui font office d’employés de bureaux – Japan: these robots can do office work), a legislative framework is “well overdue” according to European MPs who on Thursday, 12 January, asked the European Commission to define relevant European Union regulations.
By presenting a parliamentary resolution, Socialist Euro MP Mady Delvaux explained: “We must ensure that these robots serve and continue to serve mankind”. If this resolution is accepted during the next plenary session, the European Commission should focus on regulating an area for which no legislation has hitherto been passed. Mady Delvaux added: “For once, we can establish principles on a European scale and with a common legal framework before every Member State implements their own legislation” (see Le droit des robots fait débat – Robots’ rights trigger a debate).
Finally, the resolution was broadly adopted by the European Parliament’s Committee for Legal Affairs and will be presented during the hemicycle in February.
Le Figaro (12/01/17), la Croix (12/01/2017), Communiqué de presse du Parlement européen (12/11/17).
Photo : Pixabay, DR.