Parliament calls for harmonized rules to protect players, especially kids, and measures to help the innovative video games sector expand.The draft text, on which MEPs debate on demands better protection for gamers, especially children, from gaming addiction and manipulative practices. Extracts from the debate, from the vote and statement by Adriana MALDONADO LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur.

digital agenda (T)

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

REYNDERS, Didier (BE, EC)

MANDERS, Antonius (EPP, NL)

sport and health (T)

CAÑAS, Jordi (Renew, ES)

MALDONADO LÓPEZ, Adriana (S&D, ES)

VAN SPARRENTAK, Kim (Greens/EFA, NL)

Consumer protection in online video games - a European Single Market approach: extracts from the debate, from the vote and statement by Adriana MALDONADO LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur

Title: Consumer protection in online video games - a European Single Market approach: extracts from the debate, from the vote and statement by Adriana MALDONADO L&#211;PEZ (S&amp;D,ES), rapporteur (I-235908)

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, The Commission invites member states and the video game industry to be involved in the implementation of the three pillars of the strategy, namely safe and age appropriate digital experiences, digital empowerment and skills, and active digital participation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, This strategy recognised that online gaming is now a major online activity for children, which presents opportunities but also comes with risks. Industry led efforts play an important role to ensure a safe gameplay environment to protect children while also promoting healthy gameplay habits.

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, Under this strategy, the Commission will facilitate the preparation of a comprehensive EU Code of conduct on age appropriate design. This code will build on the regulatory framework provided in the Digital Services Act and will be in line with the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), I am pleased that we are calling on the Commission to carry out the assessment to see how we can improve this. You know, these loot boxes could be purchased with points that you know as you play the game, but then you can't have young children taking their parents credit cards to pay for these loot boxes to try to move on to a higher level.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), It is a good thing that we are reining in these adverse side effects. Those are the downsides, and that's one thing. But we also need to look at the upsides, the positive benefits of gaming, firstly, the economic benefits. We know that a video gaming industry is bigger than the film and music industry taken together, it is a growing industry and Europe is a pioneer here.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Jordi CANAS (Renew, ES), I think that this report really does achieve our goals. We are trying to fill gaps in regulation and put on the table the idea of harmonising laws that deal with video games in Europe so all that all European citizens have the same level of protection regardless of the country they live in. And we also want to boost an ecosystem which can be favourable for businesses to develop in this important sector. Europe needs to become the safest place to play video games, but it also needs to become the best place to develop them.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Kim VAN SPARRENTAK (Greens/EFA, NL), The European Parliament is calling for new rules, stronger protections for online games industry. We need to protect gamers. We're taking a first step here today. We need to look also at the addictive features of social media. We need young people to be able to enjoy online fun without being lured into addiction.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adriana MALDONADO LOPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur, We consider that this sector, the video games sector, isvery innovative, very creative. They create more than 100,000 employees in our European Union. But we also need more SMEs, more start-ups, and also a general approach in the European Union: because nowadays the gamers, depending on the country in which they are, they have different rights and consumer protection and it is not possible in the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adriana MALDONADO LOPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur, If we believe in internal market and we believe in the European Union, we need to have the same rights and also the same duty, but also inside the internal market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adriana MALDONADO LOPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur, We consider that this important, that mental health issue also it's covered when we talk about video games, but not also these kind of problems, because also the addictions that videogames can create are very big. So we need to have also these kind of personal consumer protections in the European institution in order to protect our citizens and obviously all consumers.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adriana MALDONADO LOPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur, We propose the PEGI system because a used nowadays in more than 38 countries in the OECD countries, and it's a very interesting tool because it's very good value created in in education system and also in families.

SOUNDBITE (English), Adriana MALDONADO LOPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur, Also we have to protect our sector. For example, one of the measures that we propose in this report is to create that European award of video games here in the European Parliament.

Consumer protection in online video games - a European Single Market approach: extracts from the debate, from the vote and statement by Adriana MALDONADO LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur

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