24 March 2026
On Tuesday 24 March 2026, from 10.00 a.m., at the European Parliament in Brussels, in Library, Spinelli 5D, a high-level event is scheduled on mental health prevention in the digital era. The session is organised by Agency Tech Solution – Lenu, hosted by Ştefan Mușoiu, Member of the European Parliament, and moderated by Andreea Marin. The central themes are digital tools, human expertise and the protection of minors in the online environment.
What is at stake
The substance of the discussion first points to the practical use of artificial intelligence in mental health care. AI-based meditation and mindfulness applications are presented as tools that may help reduce anxiety symptoms among adolescents. Therapeutic chatbots are also presented as instruments that can lower barriers to psychological support, especially for young people in rural areas or for those with limited financial means. Early detection systems that analyse language patterns or online behaviour are also part of the discussion, as they may identify risks linked to depression or suicide before a situation becomes acute.
At the same time, the material sets out a broad range of risks. Problematic internet use among European adolescents is estimated at between 4 and 13 per cent. The patterns described include a growing need for time online, distress when access is interrupted, neglect of other activities and continuation despite negative effects. Attention is also given to social comparison on digital platforms, the algorithmic promotion of provocative content, the weakening of human relationships through prolonged interaction with chatbots or AI characters, and exposure to harmful material such as pro-anorexia, pro-suicide or extremist content. Sleep deprivation linked to blue light and stimulating screen content is also discussed, together with its impact on depression, anxiety and emotional regulation.
A third line of the debate concerns the limits of current knowledge. Much of the available research remains cross-sectional rather than longitudinal, which makes it difficult to determine the precise direction of causality. The question remains whether social media use triggers depressive symptoms, whether adolescents with such symptoms are more likely to turn to excessive digital use, or whether both processes reinforce each other over time. The argument made here is that long-term large-scale research remains necessary.
European protection principles
A set of protection principles also runs through the event. The first, “Human First”, starts from the view that no technology can replace the human relationships that are essential to a child’s development. Bonds with parents, other adults and peers remain necessary for emotional growth. The second principle, “Child-Safe by Default”, places responsibility on producers and platforms. Products used by minors, or accessible to them, should be safe by default, with maximum privacy settings, without addictive mechanisms and with active moderation of harmful content.
This is followed by the principle of algorithmic transparency. Minors and parents should be able to understand, at least in broad terms, how recommendation systems shape the online experience. In that context, reference is made to Article 50 of the EU AI Act and to the transparency obligations placed on large platforms under the Digital Services Act. Shared responsibility is another core element. Families, schools, platforms and public authorities each have a distinct role, and none of them can replace the others. The final principle is proportionality and balance. A total ban on technology for minors is not presented as realistic, but an approach without limits is rejected as well.
Speakers and positions
The official opening, from 10.00 a.m. to 10.20 a.m., is led by Ştefan Mușoiu, Member of the European Parliament, with Andreea Marin as moderator. From 10.20 a.m. to 10.50 a.m., the programme turns to European and national perspectives with Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness at the European Commission, Victor Negrescu, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Alexandru Rogobete, Minister of Health of the Government of Romania, Vasile Dîncu, Member of the European Parliament, Andi Cristea, Member of the European Parliament, Adrian George Axinia, Member of the European Parliament, Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament and co-rapporteur for the AI Act, Iulia Matei, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Romania to the European Union, Andreea Pastarnac, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Kingdom of Belgium, Sabina Iosub, journalist at Antena 3 CNN, Teodora Preoteasa, Director for European Funds Administration, and Sorin Mierlea, President of InfoCons European Consumers Protection.
From 10.50 a.m. to 11.00 a.m., the organisers’ intervention on vision and digital innovation brings together Adrian Branco Raicovici, Founder and CEO of AIGENCY TECHSOLUTION S.R.L., and Adrian Ioan Buda, Co-Founder and CMO of AIGENCY TECHSOLUTION S.R.L. It is followed by Panel I on academic leadership and digital transformation in mental health, with Prof. Univ. Dr. Ana Maria Alexandra Stanescu, Romania’s National Representative in the European General Practice Research Network, Head of the Family Medicine Department at the Spitalul Universitar de Urgență Militar Central “Dr. Carol Davila”, President of the Family Medicine specialty commission within the Romanian Ministry of Health, doctoral supervisor and coordinator of resident doctors, Maria Smith, psychotherapeutic counsellor accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and Honorary President of ROconect, Dr. Panait Laura Marina of the Foundation Research & Innovation and specialist in family medicine and ultrasonography, Dr. Alin Bob, Medical and AI Expert and Co-Founder of OncoNav, Bogdan Nicolae Enache, representative of the National Agency for Sport, Dan Alexa, Head Coach of Politehnica Timișoara, Monica Munteanu, Digital Marketing Expert, Dr. Andrian Ţîbîrnă, Specialist in General Surgery and General Manager of the “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia” Clinical Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Florina Rad, senior specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and university lecturer, Carmen Busi, psychotherapist and psychoanalyst, Victor Idricianu, Manager of the Psychiatric Hospital and Security Measures Facility Pădureni-Grajduri, Dr. Paziuc Lucian Constantin, senior psychiatrist, Doctor of Medical Sciences and President of the Association of Public Psychiatric Hospitals in Romania, Dr. Băcilă Ionuț Ciprian, senior psychiatrist, Doctor of Medical Sciences and President of the Romanian Association of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Cristina Anania, Deputy Director of the Romanian Office for Science and Technology to the European Union, Dr. ing. Adrian-Victor Vevera, Director General of the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics ICI București, Dan Cîmpean, Director of the National Directorate for Cyber Security, Georgiana Coșoveanu, President of the Health Committee of AmCham Romania, Alin Metesan, CEO and Founder of Escape IT, and Belciu Bogdan Ionut, senior management consultant with more than 25 years of experience in the United States and Romania and Founder of Valorem Management Consulting.
Sources:
Agenda-Oficiala-EP-RO-FINAL
European prevention guide on mental health in the digital era
Official speaker programme of the event at the European Parliament
Andy Vermaut +32499357495