WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3142/98 by Joaquín SISÓ CRUELLAS Dangerous computer games
Date: 1998-10-16
Institutions: European Parliament, SISO CRUELLAS
Subjects: automatic game, child, child protection, market approval, marketing, violence, young person

6.11.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 320/27

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 1998)

Driftnet fishing for tuna will be prohibited only from 1 January 2002. In accordance with the Council
decisions, the restrictions for 1998 and subsequent years have mainly concerned the permitted lengths. The
Commission has worked hard to ensure that these provisions are complied with and it has sent a report of its
observations each year to Parliament. It observes that, since 1995, the rules and regulations limiting the
authorised maximum length to 2,5 km have been satisfactorily implemented.

The Commission does not yet have all the data on the Member States inspections for this year. Based on the
information available, there has been at least one infringement by a fisherman using a net that did not conform
to the rules on length. As in previous years, the Commission will produce a final report for the year once it has
all the necessary data.

It is for the Member States to penalise infringements of the rules in force. The Commission will continue to
ensure compliance with the rules on the use of driftnets and will similarly ensure compliance with the bans on
their use, when the time comes.

(1999/C 320/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3142/98

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas (PPE) to the Commission

(16 October 1998)

Subject: Dangerous computer games

There is a computer game called ‘Carmageddon’ which, I am appalled to say, many children enjoy playing. The
game consists of a car rally in which points are scored by running over as many people and animals as possible
along the circuit of the rally. The winner is the highest scorer and the number of points scored varies thus:
100 points for running over a fat man; 125 for a policeman or a little old lady; 150 for running over a cow or if
one manages to drive into an American stadium and run over the players lined up in the middle of the field etc.
Points can also be scored depending on the amount of time taken to do this. As far as the Member is aware, this
computer game is banned in Germany.

In view of the public concern at the fact that European children could enjoy playing this horrible game, I would
like to ask the Commission the following questions:

7 Can the Commission say whether it is aware of this particular form of computer ‘entertainment’?

7 Would it be possible for the ‘Carmageddon’ computer game to be banned throughout the Union?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(1 February 1999)

The Commission is aware, as a result of information disseminated by the media, of the existence of the
computer game in question and the concerns it raises in respect of the possible effects on users, particularly
children.

As regards the possibility of banning the game throughout the Community, the Commission must point out
that the matter essentially comes under the Member States’ responsibility for preventing violence and crime.

It would appear that the authorities in the Member States are carefully monitoring the problems posed by
dangerous computer games, and in some cases action has already been taken to ban the game in question at
national level, as mentioned by the Honourable Member. Certain Member States also have a classification
system for computer games based on their level of violence, and ban their sale to minors on the basis of age
criteria.