22 Amendments of Karen MELCHIOR related to 2022/2014(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
— having regard to the Commission Communication of 22 April 2008 on the protection of consumers, in particular minorschildren, in respect of the use of video games (COM(2008)0207),
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to the Commission Notice –Guidance on the interpretation and application of Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning unfair business-to- consumer commercial practices in the internal market;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
— having regard to the Council Conclusions on Building a European Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Industries Ecosystem published on 5 April 2022;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the growing video game sector offers an increasing number of new job opportunities for many cultural creators, such as game developers, designers, writers, music producers and other artists, for which any Union action in this field and especially funding activities should be taken into consideration;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the European video game industry is mainly made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, which have an important role for the innovation and growth of this sector1a ; _________________ 1a https://digital- strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/value- european-video-games-society
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas video games are complex creative works protected both by the Computer Programs Directive 2009/24 and the Copyright Directive 2001/29 and have a unique and creative value as recognised by the Court of Justice of the EU;1a _________________ 1a Judgement of the CJEU Case C 355/12
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the video games industry employed 86 953 people in 2019, of whom around 20% were women; whereas some of the companies use content created by children;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas children have the right to participate in the digital world to the fullest extent possible;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas mental health and well- being are interrelated issues that need to be taken into account in all areas such as education, health, employment and social inclusion; whereas videogames can be important tools to deal with mental health and well-being and can be used to advance in these areas, as well as to help citizens to develop several skills which are essential in a digital society and for the building of the Digital Single Market;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes the existence of online video game platforms that allow players, including children, to create their own games using the developer tools provided by them; calls on the Commission to adopt, if needed, regulatory measures in order to protect users against illegal practices caused by these platforms;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that some video games offer their users the possibility to pay, sometimes even with real money, in order to obtain rewards through loot boxes or any other type of randomized in-game purchase;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Welcomes the Commission recently adopted Guidance on the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which establishes harmonised rules where paid random items are present in video games; calls for its compliance and swift implementation to ensure consumer protection in the Single Market, particularly for children; urges the Commission to further assess consumer protection in video games and take the necessary steps to bring about a common European approach on loot boxes and any other type of randomized in-game purchases;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that online games that are likely to be accessible to children must take their rights and vulnerabilities into account; stresses that they must meet the highest possible standards by design and by default when it comes to security and privacy, in accordance with the GDPR and the DSA and their particular provisions related to the data processing of children and the protection of their online privacy;
Amendment 140 #
7a. Stresses that videogames are both tools for playing as well as art works with cultural value; points out that article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children have the right to play and to freely and fully experience cultural life and activities according to their age;1a _________________ 1a https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments- mechanisms/instruments/convention- rights-child
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that consumers should have all the necessary information about an online video game related to the presence of in-game purchases, loot boxes and other randomised in-game purchases, before starting to play it, as well as during the game, in terms of the multiple options for possible purchases while playing and other information that may be considered to be of interest; stresses that such information should be clearly displayed and easily understandable for all consumers before the moment of purchase; notes that, when virtual currencies are used in online games, the value on real-world currency must always be provided alongside virtual currency;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes that the Commission will examine auto-renewals for subscriptions and contracts in the upcoming fitness check of consumer protection legislation; points out that auto-renewals can be beneficial for both the user and the trader, improving convenience for users and limiting subscriber administration for the trader, but it can also be problematic if the auto- renewals continue indefinitely against the consumer's intentions; encourages the Commission and traders to take into account best-practices from Member states or companies that already have consumer-friendly auto-renewal policies in place; calls for the introduction of an obligation at EU level whereby traders must provide users with an opt-in proposal at purchase instead of having it as a default feature, to provide clear and easy-accessible information on how to cancel auto-renewals at anytime and to make the process of cancelling the auto- renewals simple and as easy as signing up;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Underlines that return and refund guarantee policies are a corner stone of the Union’s consumer rights, and consumers should experience the same rights for online gaming purchases and subscriptions as they would for in-person, psychical purchases; calls on traders to fully comply to EU consumer protection rules and relay information on how to request a refund or make use of the right of withdrawal transparently and reliably;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Stresses that persons with disabilities should be able to play all types of online video games; highlights that both technical and communicative features of all online video games and any relevant information related to playing or purchasing the game must be inclusive and accessible; calls on the Commission to propose an extension of the scope of the European Accessibility Act to online video games; encourages providers of online video games to make games accessible by applying the accessibility requirements of Annex I of Directive 2019/882;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Notes that videogames can be interactive, highly social and have helped Europeans to find community and connection during a time of isolation, as well as to build communities and forge genuine, enduring friendships; notes that this has been particularly true for elderly people who are amongst those who have suffered the most isolation during these months; notes that the WHO believes online games can become a key instrument in nurturing our bonds to others1a and that research has found direct psychological and social benefits from gaming across all ages; _________________ 1a https://www.bloomberg.com/press- releases/2020-04-10/games-industry- unites-to-promote-world-health- organization-messages-against-covid-19- launch-playaparttogether-campaign
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that playing online video games excessively can have a negative impact on social relations, such as school drop-out, physical and mental health problems, and poor academic performance, to name but a few issues; calls for the strengthening of supervisory mechanisms for children and adolescentspublic information campaigns about responsible game play and parental control tools allowing parents to manage children’s video game play; encourages parents to join children in their digital past time;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes industry-led initiatives such as Pan European Game Information (PEGI) that is used in 38 countries; considers that such a rating system can beis particularly beneficial in providing information on the recommended minimum age and protecting minors from inappropriatage for playing a game; welcomes the sector's longstanding safety by design commitment through the PEGI Code of Conduct provisions on safe online gameplay environments which were introduced in 2007, and the presence of parental control tools which are effective agameinst illegal and harmful content; welcomes the PEGI descriptor function which informs consumers if a game includes paid random pay-to-playitems features; notes that some countries have made the PEGI system law and calls on the Commission to explore the possibilities for entrenching it in EU law; highlights that PEGI is a well- known and affordable system for consumers and companies that provides guidance for parents helping them to determinate which games are appropriate for which age;