On Tuesday, 14 July, Dirk Bosmans, Director General of PEGI, spent a day in Cyprus: two ministry meetings in Nicosia, then a working lunch with studios in Limassol. The visit was organised by CYGMA,together with its official partner Chrysostomides Advocates & Legal Consultants and C Business Advisors.
Why this visit mattered
PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) is the age-rating system for video games used in 40 countries across Europe. It has done its job quietly for over two decades: parents see a clear label, players know what they’re buying, and the industry keeps one workable system of self-regulation instead of forty national ones.
That last point is not hypothetical. As Mr Bosmans told his Cypriot hosts, PEGI exists because the industry took advantage of the momentum: in 2003, Germany was the only EU country with its own established national rating system. Had more countries gone the same way, a pan-European system would never have been possible. His argument now is that the industry faces a similar opportunity. New European legislation is coming – including the Digital Fairness Act (DFA), which will reach into how games are monetized, designed and marketed – and the sector’s best answer is to strengthen its self-regulation together, before the rules are written for it.
Cyprus wants a seat in that conversation. The local games industry has grown quickly, and the time to build relationships is now – not after the legislation lands.
With the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy
The day started in Nicosia with a meeting with Dr Nicodemos Damianou, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy. Mr Bosmans walked the Deputy Minister through PEGI’s history and purpose, and the conversation moved on to where age ratings sit within Europe’s wider framework for digital safety, questions of privacy and data protection in games, and the forthcoming DFA. Dr Damianou asked to be kept informed as things develop.
The delegation also briefed the Deputy Minister on CYGMA’s upcoming initiatives, including the release of a Cyprus Video Game Industry Report and the first Cypriot delegation to Gamescom.
With the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry
The second meeting – two hours with officials from the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry’s consumer protection department – was a first for us: CYGMA’s first official introduction to the Ministry. We presented the association and the industry behind it: who our members are, how large Cyprus has become on the global video game development stage, and why it matters to keep a balance between protecting young players and supporting a sector that contributes seriously to the country’s economy.
The officials listened closely, took notes, and asked pointed questions. Consumer protection is exactly where the DFA will bite, and while it is not yet settled which body will coordinate Cyprus’s feedback on the Act, this department will clearly have a say. The shared conclusion was the one that ran through the whole day: feedback works best when it arrives early, is carefully prepared, and comes from people who know the field firsthand. That is the role CYGMA, its partners, and member studios intend to play for Cyprus.
Working lunch in Limassol
The day ended in Limassol, at a closed-door working lunch hosted by Chrysostomides Advocates & Legal Consultants, C Business Advisors, and CYGMA. Around the table: Mr Bosmans, representatives of CYGMA member studios, and invited guests and partners.
The conversation covered how PEGI came to be and where it stands today, the changes coming to the rating system, and how studios can respond to regulatory pressure without waiting to be told what the rules are. For most people in the room, it was their first chance to put practical questions – on ratings, compliance, monetization – directly to the person who runs Europe’s rating system. The conversation stretched well past the planned time, and judging by the messages we received afterward (many attendees asked for Mr Bosmans’s presentation before they’d left the parking lot), nobody minded.
In their words
Self-regulation only works when it stays close to both policymakers and the people making games. In Cyprus I found a young, fast-growing industry thinking seriously about responsible practices, and a government interested in the conversation. That's exactly what PEGI needs from a growing European games hub.
Working closely with video games, we understand how crucial the dialogue between the industry and policy makers is, especially amidst the rapidly developing local video games ecosystem and its increasing visibility as a major European video games hub. We are pleased to contribute to initiatives that strengthen this dialogue and the wider development of the digital ecosystem in Cyprus.
What's next
More of this. CYGMA will keep building working relationships between Cypriot game makers, government and European institutions, so that when the next round of regulation lands, our industry has already been heard.
Our thanks to Dirk Bosmans for his time and openness, to Chrysostomides Advocates & Legal Consultants and C Business Advisors, and to everyone who joined the discussions.