Initiative on virtual worlds

Key points

The EESC:

• supports the Commission's objective of investigating a sector whose benefits and, especially, its risks, still need to be clarified and which will profoundly affect the near future and, above all, future generations; is of the opinion that there is an urgent need to examine whether existing legislation is sufficient and adaptable, or whether new legislation is needed;

• while supporting the four pillars laid out in the Communication, thinks that the social dimension of virtual worlds, crucial for each and every pillar, deserves more attention, especially regarding how virtual worlds impact the working conditions, health and safety of those using or working in them, as well as vulnerable people;

• deems important to foster the development of global industry standards and interoperability protocol standards, to promote public-private cooperation to grow industrial virtual worlds while ensuring compliance with ethical and regulatory standards, to fund research and innovation projects dedicated to virtual worlds, to enforce all relevant existing legislation (such as competition, data protection, intellectual property), and to assess concrete measures to develop sustainable virtual worlds.