A two-day International Conference marked the official launch of the joint European Union/Council of Europe Technical Support Instrument project “Promoting the Mental Health of Children and Youth by Addressing the Risks of Online Gambling and Gaming” on 28-29 January in Rome, Italy.
This project supports Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, and Slovenia in enhancing their responses to the risks posed by online gambling and excessive gaming among children and youth and in raising awareness of these risks.
This event brought together 72 representatives of government institutions, experts, academia and civil society from 22 countries across Europe and beyond to exchange their national experiences in tackling these issues at policy level and in practice.
The conference is the first step to build momentum towards joint efforts to tackling the risks of online gambling and gaming as highlighted by Ms Nathalie Berger, Director for Support to Member States’ reform at the European Commission: “This Technical Support Instrument multi-country project is at the crossroads of the European Commission’s priorities for mental health, youth, and digital policies. As we embark together on this project, we all have a shared responsibility to protect and empower our young people. By joining forces, we can create a comprehensive and effective approach to addressing the risks associated with online gambling and gaming.”
Mr Denis Huber, Executive Secretary of the Pompidou Group (PG) emphasised the relevance and timeliness of this topic and the added value of the PG as an international platform for exchange of practices and experiences on addictive behaviours in the digital age, whilst keeping strong focus on the human rights dimension: “We have the most important element of success for this conference: the opportunity to exchange national experiences, discuss reform efforts, lessons learned and challenges ahead across member states, across different continents and presenting the views of governments, academia and civil society“.
Focus on Prevalence and Policy Responses
The first day of the conference highlighted available European data on prevalence and respective characteristics of online gambling and gaming among children and youth and the need for effective evidence-based policies and regulatory framework addressing each of these phenomena. Participants were introduced to the objectives and expected results of the project that will address these challenges within its two years implementation period. Representatives from the participating EU Member States such as Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Hungary, Italy and Portugal and other PG Member States – Switzerland and Austria- presented their national experiences in tackling these issues through legislative and policy measures, paving the way for more cross-border exchange of ideas and practices.
Exploring Youth Mental Health Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Treatment
The second day of the conference focused on interventions targeting children, youth, and their families and at enhancing protection measures through education and awareness raising campaigns. In this context, interesting initiatives and lessons learned were shared by Poland, Belgium, Finland, Malta and Slovenia.
In an engaging panel discussion, experts from children’s rights organisations, civil society and parents’ associations explored ways to better protect and respect the rights and interest of children, youth and parents.
The conference was concluded by reiterating the importance of protecting children’s rights, parental responsibilities and strengthening the collaboration between families and communities.
For more information, please visit the web page of the project and the European Commission’s project website.
- Opening speech by Nathalie BERGER, Director for Support to Member State reforms, European Commission (video)
- Opening speech by Paolo MOLINARI, Head of the Department for Antidrug Policies, Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy
- Opening speech by Denis HUBER, Executive Secretary, Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe
- The launching event on our social media: Facebook - LinkedIn
This project is co-funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by the Council of Europe,
in co-operation with the European Commission.