EU ministers have agreed a partial negotiating mandate for AgoraEU, a proposed programme that would bring EU support for culture, media and civic participation into a single funding framework from 2028 to 2034.
The Council said on 12 May that it had agreed its position on key elements of the AgoraEU programme, which is intended to form part of the next multiannual financial framework. The mandate is described as partial because financial and horizontal issues remain subject to the wider negotiations on the EU’s next long-term budget.
AgoraEU is designed to succeed and consolidate elements of existing EU programmes, including Creative Europe and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme. The proposed structure covers three main strands: Creative Europe – Culture, MEDIA+, and CERV+.
The first strand would support cultural cooperation and creativity across borders. MEDIA+ would cover the audiovisual and video games industries, as well as support for journalism and news media. CERV+ would focus on fundamental rights, equality, democratic participation and the rule of law.
The agreement gives the Council a mandate to begin negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposed regulation. The final size of the programme’s budget will depend on the outcome of talks on the EU’s 2028-2034 financial framework.
The Council position maintains the main architecture of the Commission proposal while adding clarification on several areas, including the role of member states, the treatment of different cultural and creative sectors, and the application of the programme to audiovisual markets with different national conditions.
One of the more practical changes concerns the proposed network of support desks. The Council mandate refers to “AgoraEU Desks”, which would provide information and training for applicants, promote the programme and exchange good practice. This would continue the model of national contact points already familiar under existing EU programmes, while adapting it to the new structure.
The Council also proposes the creation of an AgoraEU Committee composed of representatives of member states. This would give national governments a formal role in discussing and voting on implementation issues across the programme’s different strands.
The programme has attracted attention because it brings together policy areas that have traditionally been handled separately. Culture, audiovisual policy, news media support and civic participation all have different constituencies, funding models and political sensitivities. A single programme may allow for closer coordination, but it also raises questions over how resources will be divided between sectors.
Those questions have already been raised by organisations representing parts of the media and audiovisual sectors. A joint position paper published in April called for separate and predictable funding envelopes for film, audiovisual and press-related support, arguing that the sectors operate under different economic and regulatory conditions.
The Council mandate appears to respond to some concerns over national differences in the audiovisual sector. It states that implementation should take account of market size, production and distribution conditions, access to content, and cultural and linguistic diversity. This is intended to encourage broader participation from member states with different levels of audiovisual capacity.
The broader political context is the EU’s attempt to place culture, media and civic participation within its next budget cycle as elements of democratic resilience. The Commission’s original proposal, published in July 2025, presented AgoraEU as part of the 2028-2034 financial framework and linked it to support for democratic participation, cultural diversity and media freedom.
For the news media sector, the programme could become one of the EU’s main funding instruments after 2028. However, its practical significance will depend on eligibility rules, budget allocations, safeguards for editorial independence and the division of resources between media, audiovisual, cultural and civil-society actions.
For cultural organisations, the central issue is continuity with existing Creative Europe support. The Council mandate refers to more targeted actions for areas such as music, book publishing and libraries, including cultural prizes and peer-learning activities. It also recognises both the artistic value of cultural and creative sectors and their economic contribution.
The adoption of the partial mandate does not settle the programme’s final shape. Negotiations with the European Parliament may alter the regulation, and the most politically significant issue — the funding envelope — remains tied to the wider long-term budget talks.
The decision nevertheless marks a formal step in the legislative process. Once Parliament and Council reach a final agreement, AgoraEU would become the EU’s main framework for culture, media and civic participation funding for the next budget period.
