'AgoraEU' programme 2028–2034

PURPOSE: to establish the 'AgoraEU' programme for the period 2028-2034.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: on 16 July 2025, the European Commission unveiled its proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, a EUR 2 trillion budget designed to strengthen Europe's sovereignty, competitiveness, and resilience. This new MFF will significantly enhance the EU's capacity to deliver on core policies while addressing new and emerging priorities.

The 2028-2034 MFF proposal aims at addressing ‘complexities, weaknesses and rigidities’ currently present in the EU’s budget, and provides a framework that is more focused, simpler, with fewer and more impactful programmes. For this reason, and to increase the budget’s flexibility and ability to respond to changing realities and emerging problems, this proposal seeks to streamline the EU intervention in the areas of culture, media and equality, citizens, rights and values, exploiting connections and synergies where relevant, while respecting the singularity and specific needs of each of these policy areas.

The Programme should succeed the Creative Europe Programme established by Regulation (EU) 2021/818 of the European Parliament and the Council and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme, established by Regulation (EU) 2021/692 of the European Parliament and of the Council. It should streamline various funding actions in support of media freedom and pluralism, fight against disinformation in support of the provision on information on Union affairs.

CONTENT: the proposed regulation establishes the AgoraEU Programme for the period 2028-2034. A financial envelope for the implementation of the Programme for the period 2028-2034 is set at EUR 8 582 000 000.

Its main objectives are to:

- promote cultural and linguistic diversity and heritage;

- increase the competitiveness of the cultural and creative sectors, in particular the media and audiovisual industries, to safeguard artistic and media freedom, and to protect and promote equality, active citizenship, rights and values as enshrined in the Treaties and in the Charter, thereby enhancing democratic participation and societal resilience within the Union.

Within this general objective, the Programme will have three separate strands implementing the following specific objectives:

Creative Europe - Culture strand will:

- contribute to cross-border cultural creation, cooperation, participation and accessibility, and cross-border circulation of a diversity of cultural works, while strengthening the social, economic and international dimensions of the cultural and creative sectors (‘culture’).

MEDIA+ strand will:

- contribute to the cultural diversity and competitiveness of the audiovisual and video games industries, notably by enhancing creation and cross-border distribution of European content and its access by citizens (‘audiovisual’);

- contribute to a free, viable and diverse Union information ecosystem, notably by supporting free and independent journalism and news media, enhancing citizens’ access to trustworthy information and tackling disinformation (‘news’).

Democracy, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (‘CERV+’) strand will:

- contribute to protecting and promoting fundamental rights, equality and non-discrimination and Union citizen’s rights enshrined in the Treaties including free movement of citizens, and empowering civil society (‘rights, equality, citizens and civil society’);

- contribute to fighting against gender-based violence, violence against children and other groups at risk of such violence (‘Daphne’);

- contribute to enhancing democratic participation and upholding the rule of law (‘democratic participation and rule of law’).

The EU should promote synergies among the media, culture, and civic spheres, bringing together public and private entities as well as promoting cross-sectoral cooperation, and innovation, to address common challenges and contribute to societal resilience and democratic participation.