REPORT on virtual worlds – opportunities, risks and policy implications for the single market

5.12.2023 - (2022/2198(INI))

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
Rapporteur: Pablo Arias Echeverría

Procedure : 2022/2198(INI)

Document stages in plenary

Document selected :

A9-0397/2023

Texts tabled :

A9-0397/2023

Debates :

Votes :

PV 17/01/2024 - 8.18
CRE 17/01/2024 - 8.18

Texts adopted :

P9_TA(2024)0032

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT
OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

PR_INI

CONTENTS

Page

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on virtual worlds – opportunities, risks and policy implications for the single market

(2022/2198(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Article 24 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as elaborated upon in its General Comment No. 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment,

– having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Culture and Education,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (A9-0397/2023),

A. whereas the world is undergoing an unprecedented transformation marked by digitalisation, which is imprinting profound changes in all spheres of our economic, political and social life;

B. whereas digitalisation brings with it a wealth of opportunities in fields such as medicine, culture, education, the economy, security and law enforcement and has the potential to contribute to solving global problems related to poverty and inequality, sustainability as well as to democratise processes and access to education and knowledge; whereas it also offers new possibilities to advance the transition process towards more sustainable and just societies if guided in the right direction by appropriate policies; whereas addressing the digital divide, which currently affects 46 % of Europeans, still requires significant investment;

C. whereas the digital transformation also entails significant challenges that might lead us to review the concepts and norms that have hitherto underpinned our economic and social progress while keeping intact our fundamental core principles and values such as cultural policies and copyright law; whereas excessive market concentration has been observed in the digital economy; stresses the need to reduce technological dependencies on non-EU countries by moving towards a European approach to virtual worlds, including both larger and smaller operators at various levels of the value chain;

D. whereas in the EU, awareness of both the potential of emerging technologies and the challenges posed by the accumulation of power by digital giants has triggered the need to re-establish a level playing field in the digital market, leading to political and legislative action; whereas the EU institutions have made the green and digital transitions a priority area of action and policy formulation, establishing rules in line with EU values, principles of equity and fair competition, and fundamental rights, while ensuring strategic autonomy and independence;

E. whereas the transition to Web 4.0 and the development of virtual worlds may be a significant part of the future of digitalisation and may be one of the significant potential building blocks for the completion of the digital single market; considers that digitalisation, integral to Web 4.0, should be harmoniously integrated into the Digital Single Market without creating barriers; acknowledges that while virtual worlds can complement the real world as an additional tool, they should not replace it and should not lead to exclusion of consumers;

F. Whereas virtual worlds pose significant risks in various domains, such as mental health, competition, data protection, and consumer protection, including for vulnerable groups such as minors, the elderly, and people with disabilities; whereas further research in this field is also needed; whereas virtual worlds also present multifaceted challenges that include but are not limited to user-generated content, intellectual property rights, cybersecurity measures and fundamental human rights; whereas the experience of virtual worlds can pose challenges to women; according to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), one in 10 women have experienced some form of cyber violence since the age of 15; whereas the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women has stated that new technologies ‘will inevitably give rise to different and new manifestations of online violence against women’; considers that the imbalance between the online consumer and trader might be exacerbated in virtual worlds; underlines that technologies must not be designed to manipulate consumers’ behaviour; notes the growing number and variety of products, including financial products, linked to virtual worlds such as buying virtual assets, avatars, and others; highlights the need to have targeted studies and extended consultation with experts in different fields, from economy to psychology to neuro-specialists, in order to develop a legislative framework fit for the purpose; welcomes the work of the industry in this regards while underlining that more can be done;

General principles

1. Welcomes the Commission communication of 11 July 2023 entitled ‘An EU initiative on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds: a head start in the next technological transition’ (COM(2023)0442); underlines that any strategy must be sustainable and human-centric, while protecting the values of the European Union;

2. Notes the challenges associated with the absence of a universally recognised or agreed definition of virtual worlds, which also leads to a lack of policy coordination at the national level and above; acknowledges the Commission’s efforts to define virtual worlds in a way that is aligned with consensual characteristics such as immersivity, synchronicity and persistence;

3. Underlines the need to make a clear difference between the existing digital instruments, and other possible emerging technologies, based on research, strong scientific studies and technical specificities, while exploring the need for standardisation of the sector;

Internal market and consumer protection

4. Observes that, although the European Commission’s communication does not yet indicate the need for precise legislative action, it is nevertheless important to make a careful assessment of all the issues relating to the development of virtual worlds and their effective coverage by existing legislation; underlines that a true digital single market can contribute decisively to the development of virtual worlds and strengthen the EU’s ability to compete globally; considers that a clear, comprehensive, regulatory framework is of vital importance, particularly when the technology reaches maturity, to ensure a level playing field that harnesses the full potential of virtual worlds and enables their economic growth;

5. Welcomes the latest regulatory developments in this regard, such as the Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 [1]), the Digital Markets Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 [2]), and the Data Act (2022/0047(COD)) that is about to be endorsed by the Council and the European Parliament; notes also the proposal for an artificial intelligence act, and cyber resilience act and the ongoing negotiations thereon; considers that the Commission should conduct regular checks on the adequacy and consistency of the legislative framework of the digital single market, to address new opportunities, risks or other issues that may arise with virtual worlds and where necessary, put forward legislative proposals; believes that the outcome of such checks should be made public;

6. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to monitor the development of virtual worlds; invites the Commission to draft a report on this subject every two years and to forward it to Parliament and the Council; asks the Commission to pay attention to the potential emergence of problems in the Web 4.0 that already exist in the Web 3.0, such as the proliferation of disinformation, spread of illegal content, digital identity theft, cybercrime, infringement of intellectual property rights, cyberterrorism, misuse of personal data, manipulative behavioural or addictive design of digital services, fraud, online terrorist content, sexual abuse of minors and cyberbullying, among others, and to consider relevant existing, such as the Digital Services Act, and forthcoming legislation which aim to address these issues;

7. Points to the significant economic potential of virtual worlds, and the growing needs for investment in the necessary infrastructure and in related research, innovation, and re- and up-skilling; stresses that the overall costs of such investments should aim to have a neutral impact on final consumer prices; acknowledges the need to increase available resources at EU-level to fulfil these objectives; highlights the role of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (XR) as crucial technologies for the development and growth of virtual worlds, providing users with immersive and interactive experiences, while also noting that industrial applications and consumer use present different challenges and require differentiated approaches; notes also the development of some AI models such as generative AI can play a crucial role in creating and enriching virtual environments; in this regard, call on the Commission to closely monitor also the rapid development of this technology and its impact in the digital ecosystem;

8. Signals also the potential positive impact that these developments could have on employment, including the creation of new jobs in domains such as virtual world architecture or content creation; stresses the need to invest in reskilling initiatives to educate the existing workforce in the EU, paying specific attention to under-represented groups in this sector; highlights the importance of investing in and promoting the development of appropriate skills to ensure the supply of talented and skilled workers fit for these jobs in the EU, as well as of creating appealing conditions to retain EU talent, attract foreign talent, and promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the territory of the EU;

Signals the positive as well as the negative potential impact of the new technologies and products on consumers, on their health, on their social and economic life; highlights the potential of virtual worlds in industrial and professional settings, in particular for training and prototyping, while acknowledging broader impacts on workers; stresses the need to ensure compliance with labour rights and a high level of worker protection;

9. Recalls that while most companies that are leading the development of virtual worlds are established outside the EU, there exists a vibrant, evolving ecosystem within the EU; emphasises the need for the EU to take the lead in shaping virtual worlds as ecosystems that respect and promote EU values, fundamental rights, and the highest level of consumer protection; signals the importance of fostering a level playing field that promotes the expansion of European small and medium-sized enterprises and the emergence of competitive European companies, as well as decentralised and interoperable ecosystems;

Underlines the necessity of creating an appropriate policy framework and engaging in international dialogues in particular with like-minded non-EU countries for coordinated approaches to virtual worlds; stresses the importance of raising European citizens’ awareness about responsible usage in these digital domains;

10. Acknowledges that multiple virtual worlds have been developed by different undertakings in the absence of open and common standards, regulations and interoperable platforms; underlines that these virtual worlds are currently being developed by a limited number of undertakings that have the resources and funds necessary to develop them; considers that interoperability and open standards can contribute to the prevention of quasi-monopolies or abuses of dominant position to the detriment of consumers and to European businesses, especially SMEs;

Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to engage with existing multi-stakeholder internet governance institutions to develop common governance standards and rules; and encourages the Commission to support ongoing multi-stakeholder initiatives currently developing standards, including those of consumer associations and other civil society organisations; recommends a comprehensive study on interoperable virtual worlds; highlights the potential represented by the creation of European data spaces for the development of virtual worlds;

11. Stresses the need to ensure that virtual worlds are open, inclusive, and accessible, contributing to the greater participation of people with disabilities in the new digital environment; signals the potential of virtual worlds to increase the participation of people with disabilities in different activities such as virtual tourism; warns of the potential challenges that users with disabilities will face in interacting with virtual worlds, arising from inadequate accessibility features or designs that do not cater to their specific needs; calls on the Commission to monitor the fitness of the European Accessibility Act [3] and Web Accessibility Directive [4] in ensuring accessibility in virtual worlds . stresses also the need to recognise the specific needs and rights of children;

12. Believes that the debate over the need for the identification of users in virtual worlds should be a priority area in the development of virtual worlds and that there should be a profound reflection on the possible configuration of this digital environment, bearing in mind that, in some cases, anonymity may be preferable; points out that anonymity in the digital environment is always possible under a username (alias), and calls on the Commission to assess the potential use of the European Digital Identity (eID) and wallet in virtual worlds;

13. Reiterates the importance of protecting users’ personal data and privacy; points out that the General Data Protection Regulation [5]might not be sufficient to address all the challenges posed to data protection in interconnected virtual worlds; calls, while ensuring an innovation-friendly environment, for special attention to be paid to the data protection implications of user-generated content, as well as the processing of sensitive data such as biometric and behavioural data, emotional reactions and haptic information;

14. Underlines that participation in the virtual world is voluntary and calls for the Commission to consider installing the right to permanent deletion so that consumers can ask for their data and profile to be erased from any applications, online games and virtual environments;

15. Considers that particular attention should be given to addictive design and dark patterns in these virtual environments; warns of the potential health issues that may arise from interacting with virtual worlds, such as addiction, cyber sickness or disturbances in sleep patterns; emphasises the special vulnerability of minors and young people to these health problems, including potential impacts on their cognitive development, and underscores the need for age-appropriate design and parental control measures to safeguard them; also considers that research on the impact of technologies that imply direct and permanent modifications to the body is needed;

16. Recalls the potential of virtual worlds and immersive education to promote children’s rights online with regards to their education, empowerment, participation and play, and that it can offer unique experiences that can help minors develop their appetite for learning through, for example, learning through play; notes that this engagement can help them develop skills in collaboration, communication, critical thinking, innovation, and confidence; stresses the opportunity to address the EU’s skills gap and train future talent; underlines the necessity of educational programmes to help children and young people adapt to technological changes and to adopt a healthy and balanced approach combining traditional social interaction with the time spent in the virtual environment, also giving parents the necessary tools to supervise and make informed decisions when allowing or involving their children in the virtual environment;

Notes the need for research on the impact of virtual reality and other technologies on cognitive and behavioural development; underlines the possible risks inherent to early exposure and excessive screen time, which might affect their well-being and proper cognitive, physical, psychological, and social development; insists on the implementation of information campaigns on responsible screen use; highlights the need for educators to be trained appropriately to ensure they have the necessary digital skills and literacy; calls on the Commission to encourage initiatives where universities, engineering schools and industry players partner to assess the skills gaps, co-design roadmaps and strengthen public-private cooperation for the benefit of the EU’s youth; underlines the importance of extending the highest level of protection afforded to minors in other offline and online environments to virtual worlds against various risks, including but not limited to abuse, harassment, bullying, and exposure to violent, sexist, racist or pornographic content; stresses the need to recognise the specific needs, vulnerabilities and the rights of children in virtual worlds; underlines the importance of designing and operating online services and products accessed mostly by children that are safe for children by design and default;

17. Notes that virtual worlds will generate high-resolution images, graphics, and video to enable immersive user experiences, further requiring high-performing infrastructure; notes that, in particular, next generation mobile networks, as well as efficient Wi-Fi connections, such as Wi-Fi 6, with low latency and high bandwidth will be key, as will technologies such as edge computing; reminds of the European Court of Auditors report from January 2022 estimating the total cost of deploying 5G in all EU Member States to be between 281 and 391 billion euros by 2025, including the construction of new 5G infrastructure and the modernisation of existing infrastructure;

18. Notes with concern that growing use of virtual worlds could also exclude certain groups of people who lack basic skills or resources to participate in this environment, but also people living in rural and remote areas, such as outermost regions; emphasises that fostering digital literacy and access to quality and affordable internet is a precondition for any EU-level framework on virtual worlds; calls on the Commission to conduct an evidence-based assessment of how to ensure that the infrastructure needed and devices needed to support the development and functioning of virtual worlds, and the transition from Web 3.0 to Web 4.0 are delivered to consumers, including in remote areas and lower-income households; highlights that a true single market for telecoms is key in this regard; warns of the dangers of financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies, particularly fraud and scams, which might be exacerbated in virtual worlds; recalls also that the irreversibility of many cryptocurrency transactions also means new channels for the parallel economy with victims of fraud having little or no recourse of possibility of recovering lost funds; welcomes the European Union Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation [6], aimed at establishing a legal framework for cryptocurrencies and digital assets;

Sustainability

19. Points out that the production of the devices needed to access virtual worlds requires resources such as rare earths and other mineral raw materials; welcomes in this regard the presentation of the Commission proposal for a regulation establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (COM(2023)0160);

20. Notes the potential for virtual worlds and Web 4.0 to make a positive contribution to the fight against climate change and for environmental sustainability, for example by facilitating remote working, thereby reducing commuting and associated carbon emissions; notes that network infrastructures that enable digital solutions and new business models play a crucial role;

21. Considers that the development and deployment of virtual worlds should take into account the impact on the environment; highlights the importance of raising consumers’ awareness about the environmental impact and sustainability of these new technologies, including electronic waste; notes that, according to the International Energy Agency, electricity consumption by large data centres currently accounts for 1-1.5 % of global electricity use points out that data centre electricity consumption may increase in the event of large-scale adoption of virtual world technologies; recalls the need to use, accelerate and incentivise technological advances to reduce the energy consumption and environmental footprint of the activities related to the production, use and development of virtual worlds, such as advanced recycling techniques and renewable energy sources;

° °

22. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, and to the parliaments and governments of the Member States.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Introductory remarks

The Rapporteur welcomes the Commission’s Communication 0442(2023). The development of web 4.0 is an already ongoing phenomenon globally and it entails an enormous economic potential; by 2024, the market size of the metaverse could reach $800 billion [7], and by 2032 it could account for 2.8 % of global GDP [8]. The European Union must be ready to embrace its development as soon as possible to ensure that it does not lag behind in the global digital race again.

European Way

The Rapporteur believes that the European Union must set the basis to guarantee a smooth transition to the Web 4.0 digital era and avoid committing the same mistakes made in the previous technological transition. The transition towards Web 4.0 must be based on the European Way, respecting the European principles and values such as data protection, privacy and security, and putting citizens in the centre, especially minors. This way of addressing the digital transition has positioned the European Union at the forefront of digital regulation, and most regions of the world look at the European Union as an example to follow. A clear example of this was the GDPR. Nonetheless, the European way of regulating the digital world comes with a lot of bureaucracy and tedious legislative processes, which may hamper innovation and technological development. The Rapporteur calls for the European Union institutions to seek therefore the right balance between a strong legislation that guarantees fundamental rights with a flexible ecosystem that promotes the development of Web 4.0.

Interoperability

The Rapporteur believes that there is a need for virtual world to be based on the principle of interoperability, allowing the interconnection between platforms, systems and devices, so that frictionless exchanges of information and interaction can take place. Interoperability will contribute to create a level playing field for the development of virtual worlds in the European Union. Currently, large tech companies, especially in the United States and in East and Southeast Asia, are leading the development of virtual worlds. Open standards and interoperability of devices and platforms will facilitate access to virtual worlds to all players.

Network capacity

The Rapporteur points out that virtual worlds are going to be very data intensive, and the technologies needed, such as augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality require high definition. Data usage is expected to increase twenty-fold during this decade and data traffic is also expected to increase very significantly. Significant investments will therefore be needed to adapt and upgrade telecommunications networks. New technologies will also be needed to enable the new applications that will emerge with virtual worlds. The rapporteur stresses that the European Union will have to find the way to ensure powerful 6G networks that enable virtual worlds.

Accessibility and inclusion

For the Rapporteur, it is important that virtual worlds are an open ecosystem accessible to everyone on equal terms. However, in practice, virtual worlds can pose accessibility and inclusion challenges. Some aspects can determine the access of citizens to virtual worlds, such as their geographical location, socio-economic status, digital skills, or physical condition (people with disabilities may have difficulty accessing virtual worlds if they are not adapted to their needs). The rapporteur calls for these elements to be addressed both, by developers of virtual worlds and by regulators.

Final remarks

The rapporteur believes that the European Union is sufficiently endowed, with legislation such as the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act or the Data Act, to ensure consumer protection and internal market standards in the development of virtual worlds. There is no need for ex novo regulation of virtual worlds for now. He calls the European Commission to monitor the developments around virtual worlds and to conduct regulatory fitness checks regularly of the digital single market and, where necessary, put forward legislative proposals.

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the report, until the adoption thereof in committee:

Entity and/or person

Telefonica

Metaverse.eu

Deutsche Telekom

DG Connect

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION (18.7.2023)

for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

on virtual worlds – opportunities, risks and policy implications for the single market

(2022/2198(INI))

Rapporteur for opinion: Laurence Farreng

SUGGESTIONS

The Committee on Culture and Education calls on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:

1. Believes that virtual worlds or ‘metaverses’ represent a significant step in the development of the internet and have the potential to impact all areas of citizens’ lives, namely in education, culture, arts and design, music, entertainment and social activities and interactions; stresses that, although there is no standardised definition, they can be understood as a real-time simulation of immersive 3D or 2D spaces in which users can interact; takes the view that virtual worlds can generate synergies with Web 3.0;

2. Calls for the European Union to adopt a comprehensive strategy for virtual worlds; believes that this strategy must be sustainable and human-centric, while safeguarding the values of the EU and fundamental rights; stresses that this strategy should aim at harnessing and promoting the innovation and progress of relevant sectors such as video games, including technologies such as virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), game engines, haptics, which are key building blocks for digital skills and for the metaverse(s), as well as the cultural, economic and educational benefits that emerge from them; stresses the need to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to the development of European metaverses, which combine technology and content;

3. Calls for the EU, in view of the strategic autonomy considerations raised by virtual worlds, to ensure adequate and efficient investment in this field; welcomes the Virtual and Augmented Reality Industrial Coalition launched by the European Commission as part of the Media Audiovisual Action Plan; notes that the Horizon Europe and Creative Europe programmes both fund augmented- and virtual-reality projects; acknowledges the need to increase the budgets of these programmes, in order to foster a prominent EU strategy for immersive technologies and to address the challenges of inclusivity and accessibility to virtual worlds;

4. Emphasises the importance of developing metaverses for the EU’s cultural and creative ecosystems, as new spaces for creativity and expression, which can be used to promote European cultural and linguistic diversity; insists on ensuring society-wide accessibility of metaverses in order to make them truly democratic spaces, fostering digital literacy and the basic right to quality and affordable internet access, ensuring connectivity and accessibility for all, particularly people living in rural areas, and to facilitate the inclusion of vulnerable groups;

5. Welcomes the impact that virtual worlds can have in terms of safeguarding and promoting European cultural heritage, by making it possible to offer personalised experiences to users, for educational or tourism purposes; recalls the need to protect European strategic cultural assets and their integrity, including European cultural heritage, in virtual worlds;

6. Notes that ‘metaverses’ or virtual worlds can be subject to economic speculation, monopolistic tendencies or market concentration; underlines the need to move towards a decentralised approach to European virtual worlds, comprising both larger and smaller operators at the various levels of the value chain; stresses that SMEs, which make up the vast majority [9],[10] of Europe’s cultural and creative ecosystems, must therefore also be able to take advantage of immersive technologies, without being held back by barriers to entry that would only benefit large digital companies; calls for increasing access to funding for SMEs and start-ups; stresses that this can contribute to reduced dependency on third countries and strengthen European leadership;

7. States that virtual worlds and augmented and virtual reality technologies can have a significant impact on education and research by transforming how we acquire knowledge; stresses that metaverses can allow for better visualisation of educational content, awareness raising and increased possibilities for collaboration between learners and educators, as well as being a form of promoting distance and lifelong learning; highlights the potential of virtual worlds to empower individuals and bridge the digital divide through education, promoting digital literacy among all society groups and reducing inequalities;

8. Believes that the development of virtual worlds should coincide with raising European citizens’ awareness of their responsible use; calls for the EU to ensure sufficient investments in the field of digital literacy in order to promote the development of critical thinking among users in the digital world;

9. Emphasises the pressing need to foster STEAM education, skills connected to cultural and artistic creation, training and upskilling of workers in the field of virtual worlds, including artificial intelligence (AI), all of which are key for the building of metaverses, in order to create and keep talent within the European Union, avoiding a brain drain towards other markets and facilitating the harmonisation of training and mutual recognition of qualifications across Member States;

10. Underlines the importance of supporting teachers and educators in the process of equipping students with the necessary basic knowledge to safely navigate virtual worlds; calls on the Member States and the EU in this regard to encourage upskilling of teachers to become digitally competent and proficient with technology;

11. Stresses that an EU strategy for virtual worlds must be aligned with an appropriate framework to ensure the protection and promotion of intellectual property, in particular authors’ rights and copyright, and stresses the need to protect artists and their creations, European cultural heritage and landscape in the virtual worlds; notes that most intellectual property systems in the metaverses are based on blockchain technology, and believes that non-fungible tokens can represent a new source of revenue for the EU’s cultural ecosystem;

12. Notes that metaverses and ancillary digital technologies can be characterised by high levels of energy consumption; stresses that an EU strategy for virtual worlds must assess the environmental impact and sustainability of these new technologies, including by raising citizens’ awareness on such impact;

13. Considers that virtual worlds can also create risks, and that these spaces should be regulated to prevent any abuses linked to harmful behaviour, such as any form of harassment, bullying, discrimination and surveillance of people, in a digital environment or due to inappropriate use; emphasises the need to ensure a safe and healthy environment where cybersecurity, privacy, transparency and the rights and needs of users are properly preserved and protected; stresses the importance of protecting children and minors in virtual worlds, through a thorough implementation of the existing European legislation and strategies such as the Digital Services Act [11] and the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+), to tackle cyberbullying, safeguard physical and mental health, ensure online safety and promote positive use of the metaverses;

14. Invites the Commission to consider the impact of its horizontal digital legislation, such as the AI Act, on culture, including the definition and ownership of cultural and academic works, and to present, if necessary, initiatives in this area to safeguard and promote the European cultural and creative ecosystem;

15. Notes that future developments of virtual worlds should be guided by ethical and human-centric principles, in line with EU legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulation [12], the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act [13] and the Copyright Directive [14]; calls on the Commission to ensure close and continuous monitoring on the development of virtual worlds, to identify issues and challenges that may arise and that are not addressed by the current legal framework or that may need further harmonisation among Member States;

16. Recognises the importance of multilateral forums in topics of global significance such as this, and encourages the Commission to take a coordinated approach with the Member States as regards contributing to important international standardisation efforts, such as ‘The Metaverse Standards Forum’, as well as other related initiatives within the OECD and other international organisations such as the ITU and ISO;

17. Underlines the value of the recommendations by the European citizens’ panel on virtual worlds and recalls the currently ongoing European Parliament Pilot Project ‘A space for the metaverse’, which will contribute to create an interdisciplinary European network of experts, thinkers and leaders, for an ethical and democratic development of metaverses.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	18.7.2023
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	25 0 3
Members present for the final vote	Asim Ademov, Christine Anderson, Andrea Bocskor, Ilana Cicurel, Laurence Farreng, Tomasz Frankowski, Romeo Franz, Sylvie Guillaume, Hannes Heide, Irena Joveva, Petra Kammerevert, Niyazi Kizilyürek, Predrag Fred Matić, Martina Michels, Niklas Nienass, Peter Pollák, Marcos Ros Sempere, Massimiliano Smeriglio, Michaela Šojdrová, Sabine Verheyen, Theodoros Zagorakis, Milan Zver
Substitutes present for the final vote	Isabella Adinolfi, Ibán García Del Blanco, Rob Rooken, Marc Tarabella
Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote	Angel Dzhambazki, Erik Marquardt

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

25	+
ECR	Angel Dzhambazki, Rob Rooken
NI	Andrea Bocskor, Marc Tarabella
PPE	Asim Ademov, Isabella Adinolfi, Tomasz Frankowski, Peter Pollák, Michaela Šojdrová, Sabine Verheyen, Theodoros Zagorakis, Milan Zver
Renew	Ilana Cicurel, Laurence Farreng, Irena Joveva
S&D	Ibán García Del Blanco, Sylvie Guillaume, Hannes Heide, Petra Kammerevert, Predrag Fred Matić, Marcos Ros Sempere, Massimiliano Smeriglio
Verts/ALE	Romeo Franz, Erik Marquardt, Niklas Nienass

0	-

3	0
ID	Christine Anderson
The Left	Niyazi Kizilyürek, Martina Michels

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention