47 Amendments of Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO related to 2022/2027(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 20 October 2021 on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU (2020/2261(INI)),
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European video game ecosystem has become a leading cultural and creative industry (CCI) all over the world, with an estimated European market size of EUR 23.3 billion in 2020counting over 4.900 game studios, 200 game publishers and 87.000 professionals employed11 , and has great potential for growth; whereas this industry is the only CCI to have experienced turnover growth during the COVID-19 crisis12 ; _________________ 11 ISFE,The European Game Developers Federation, EGDF (2019) “2019 Europe’san Video Games Industry, ISFE-EGDF Key Facts, 2021.nsight Report”. [Online] 12 EY, Rebuilding Europe: the cultural and creative economy before and after the COVID-19 crisis, January 2021.
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the large European consumer market, estimated at EUR 23.3 billion in 20201a, is fragmented and mainly operated through non-European platforms that also intermediate in the distribution and exploitation of European games worldwide; _________________ 1a ISFE, Europe’s Video Games Industry, ISFE-EGDF Key Facts, 2021
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the success of European video game streamers and e-sports clubs and tournaments shows that younger generations of European citizens are actively seeking to participate in the new creator economy driven by video games; whereas national, regional and global e- sports tournaments could be perceived as fostering cultural exchanges and promote European culture and values;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the video game industry employed approximately 87 000 people in Europe in 201913 , of whom only an estimated 20 % are women14 ; _________________ 13 ISFE, Europe’s Video Gamonly 20% of the employees in the video game industry in Europe are women14; whereas the number of women working in any role or competing in e- sports is only around 5%; whereas getting more women into video games, including on senior management positions, and e- sports should be framed as a national, international and strategic priority; whereas there is a lack of available data on persons with disabilities Iandustry, ISFE-EGDF Key Facts, 2021. minorities employed by the video game sector; _________________ 14 Ibid.
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas half of all Europeans consider themselves to be video game players, of whom almost half are women, and the average age of a video game player in Europe is 31.3 years15 ; _________________ 15 Ibid. whereas, although there is still a long way to go, continued efforts are being made by the video game sector to increase accessibility in their offer in accordance with the principles of equality and non- discrimination15a; _________________ 15 Ibid. 15a Aguado Delgado, J. et all (2020) “Accessibility in video games: a systematic review”. [Online]
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas many video game players are young people who are in the middle of their intellectual, mental, social and physical development;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the Covid-19 pandemic has already led to a deterioration in the physical fitness and mental health of young people;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the video game industry has a complete value chain based on innovation and creativity, bringing together a wide range of skills and know-how; whereas a video game is first and foremost a work of intellectual property (IP) on which the value chain is based; whereas the issue of IP ownership and control increases the complexity of the legal structure of the ecosystem, and creates new legal challenges for streamers, developers, publishers and third-party content holders;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas competitive video gaming, otherwise known as e-sport, could be considered not only part of the video game sector, but also part of the culture, media and sports sectors, and has clear digitale-sports are competitions in which individuals or teams play video games, in person or online, generally in front of spectators; whereas the definition encompasses a human element, such as players, a digital element, such as video games, and a competitive elements;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the European games industry is currently struggling with a chronic talent shortage in unfilled positions;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas there are indications that teachers that have used video games in the classroom in primary education observed in some cases a significant improvement in several key skills such as problem-solving and analytical, social and intellectual skills, as well as an increase in concentration;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas video games have proven to be a powerful, cross-sectoral medium, at the confluence of arts and technologies, building on the experiences of various artistic techniques while intertwining them with innovative technologies;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas playing video games and e-sports is also a social activity that allowed users to socialise and spend time together during the Covid-19 pandemic;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
K b. whereas video games have the ability to bring the school environment closer to pupils’ everyday reality in which video games often figure prominently;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas e-sport is still a young sector at EU and national levelphenomenon with high capacity to evolve and transform other audiovisual formats at EU and national level and which is developed differently across Member States;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
L a. whereas e-sports represents opportunities and challenges for the European society; whereas challenges includes the stigma against women, precautions against cheating, the discrepancy between the publisher's control and the use of its product as a contribution to society as well as environmental sustainability;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M a. whereas e-sports have a major strength compared to traditional sports since it can be practiced by people from completely different situations and backgrounds and the potential for e-sports to be inclusive is therefore substantial;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)
Recital N a (new)
N a. whereas many players, in particular female players, have experienced harassment and hate from other players online;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas the video game and e-sport sector is above all founded on a highly internationalised market with few barriers to the circulation of goods and services but their distribution mainly operates through non-European platforms;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
O a. whereas, as in many creative sectors, workers in the video game sector in the run-up to the release of a game are particularly subject to a very high work rate, known as "crunch", consisting of often unpaid overtime; whereas these working conditions can be detrimental to workers;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
O a. whereas the problem of illicit betting is an issue that also affects the video game industry and regulations to tackle this issue are required to ensure the integrity, safety, and sustainable growth of the sector;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission and the Council to formally acknowledge the value of the video game ecosystem as a major CCI with strong potential for growth; calls for the development of a coherent European long-term video game strategy, also taking into account e- sports, as a complement to already existing national strategies and in order to support EU actors and EU start-ups in these sectors;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that the creation of a truly integrated European video game sector entails increasing the number of co- productions involving European actors; welcomes the fact that the Creative Europe Programme funds the European video game sector; regrets, however, the low amount of funding committed so farat those funds are not well coordinated with the needs of the sector, and the low amount of funding committed so far; calls in this regard on the Commission and the Member States to further invest in R&D and training in order to maximise the game creation opportunities across Member States and to retain European talents;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Underlines that 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, which any Union action in this field and especially funding activities should take into consideration
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Calls on the Commission to support public and private initiatives that contribute to the development of a more competitive European video games landscape, by paying special attention to talent development, IP creation and business positioning;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. CallsUnderlines the importance to promote and support trade and marketing of video games created in Europe at the global level; calls in this context on the Commission to map and define the European video game industry, and to fostassess and, if appropriate, consider the creation of a ‘European Video Game’ label to improve the discoverability and encourage the dissemination of video games created in Europe;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. CallsStresses that it is essential to have harmonised, reliable and comparable European industry data on the video game and e-sports sectors in order to deliver evidence-based assessments and recommendations; calls for aligning relevant NACE codes in which video game developers, publishers and e-sports are reviewed, clarified and streamlined; calls furthermore on the Commission to create a European Video Game Observatory to support and provide decision-makers and stakeholders with harmonised data, assessments and concrete recommendations with a view to developing the sector; considers that the European Video Game Observatory should be seen as a knowledge network to support dialog for a more integrated sector;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure fair contractual situations and working conditions for all cultural creators and other professionals working in the video game sectors, notably in the context of a European status of the artist, and to safeguard the protection of their intellectual property rights;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Stresses that the cross-border enforcement of intellectual property rights of game developers and artists must be adequately protected and ensure fair remuneration;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. (new) Underlines that e-sports and video games must fully comply with European and human rights values; stresses in this context that inclusion, tolerance and promoting a fair and safe environment to play, while also filling the digital and social gap within and between countries is essential; welcomes in this context already existing tools in promoting these values, such as guiding principles of e-sports engagement adopted by the industry and e-sports Code of Conducts that exists at national level to promote e-sports that are fun, fair, and enjoyed by players and organisers around the world in an open and inclusive environment;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to finance the establishment of a European Video Game Academy responsible for thelaunch initiatives promotion ofng video games showcasing European values;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Insists that video games can be a valuable teaching tool for actively involving learners in a curriculum; believes that the deployment of video games in school should be done in parallel with raising teachers’ awareness of how best tohighlights that teachers should be adequately trained and closely associated in decision making around the use of video games in theifor educational or teaching purposes;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls the importance of European training courses dedicated to thefill the gap between the current European curricula and the required set of knowledge and skills for video game professions; stresses the importance of developingat leading educational programmes in Europe focusing on video games and of pursuing a proactivere mainly offered by private institutions and, in line with European values of democratisation of technology, calls for better curricula to be implemented in public institutions and universities; welcomes proactive education policyies to foster gender equality and inclusivity in the sector; recalls that the principle of digital literacy must necessarily embrace society at large so that citizens understand the risks and opportunities associated with video games and are able, for example, to make effective use of parental control tools;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Underlines the importance of lifelong learning and stresses that throughout their careers, teachers should receive regular training to acquire the necessary skills to help their students become digitally competent;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12 b. Underlines that beyond formal education, libraries can play on important role in bridging the digital gap between different socio-economic groups by ensuring that video games culture and its benefits are accessible for all socio- economic groups; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure sufficient funding for libraries in order to provide for an on-site access to fast internet connections and the latest game and gaming devices helping to bridge this gap;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the work carried out by organisations such as Pan European Game Information (PEGI) since 2003 to inform video game players and parents about the content of video games and in protecting minors from potentially inappropriate content; recalls that the role of parents is key in ensuring that children play video games safely;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Underlines that e-sports and video games highlight the problems of ecological, social, and economic sustainability in a digital society and whereas the ecological challenges focuses on electricity consumption as well as the consumption of rare resources in the production of hardware and the travel of e-sports teams to competitions; welcomes in this context the initiatives taken by the videogame industry to protect the environment and to improve the energy efficiency of its devices and services; highlights the potential in raising environmental awareness through video games by incorporating new features in and out of the games, such as modes, maps, themed events, storylines and messaging that highlight environmental themes like conservation restoration and this should be further promoted;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Highlights that the gambling industry is and should remain separate from the video game sector; stresses that, in relation to the perceived risks of monetised asset tools, gambling-related regulations should be reviewed and if necessary adapted to address the latest developments in entertainment software without this regulation affecting the video games sector;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers that e-sport and traditional sports are different sectors, especially given the fact that video games used for competitive gaming or e-sports belong to a private entity and are played in a digital environment; believes, however, that they may complement and learn from each other and promote similar values and skills, such as fair play, teamwork, antiracism and gender equality;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Underlines that negative stigmatisation around e-sports and gaming are still widespread throughout society; stresses that if e-sports is to be promoted and utilised, such stigmatisations should be combatted through for instance education;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Warns that intensive video gaming, in particular for players seeking to become professionals, can lead to addiction and toxic behaviour, which might have negative impacts on the pedagogical development, physical fitness and mental health of young users; believes that the EU should adopt a responsible approach to video games and e-sports by promoting them as part of a healthy lifestyle including physical activity and cultural engagement also offline; calls on the Commission in this regard to develop clear guidelines on the adequate use of videogames per age group with inputs from experts and the pedagogical community;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. WStresses that gamers and e-sports athletes can suffer from a lack of exercise and high stress levels due to a lack of work-life separation; warns that intensive video gaming, in particular for players seeking to become professionals, can lead to addiction and toxic behaviour; believes that the EU should adopt a responsible approach to video games and e-sports by promoting them as part of a healthy lifestyle including physical activity;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Recalls that the mental and physical capacity of many young people is already at risk due to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Highlights that videogaming can be a social event that can improve the social life of young people in future pandemics and other crises;