The Council of the European Union has taken a significant step toward establishing *AgoraEU*, a proposed €8.6 billion programme designed to support culture, media, and

democratic life across Europe.

On 5 May, the Council adopted a partial negotiating mandate setting out its position on the structure of the initiative. The decision brings the proposed framework closer to implementation, following earlier proposals from the European Commission and ongoing discussions among EU institutions.

The plan has been welcomed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which described the Council’s position as a positive signal for strengthening Europe’s media and cultural sectors. In particular, the Council maintained support for a dedicated “Media+” strand within AgoraEU, intended to reinforce both audiovisual production and news media.

Sofia Nobre, EU Policy Adviser at the EBU, said the Council had highlighted the “unique strategic role of media for democracy and for economies in Europe,” adding that robust investment is essential to maintain competitiveness and social impact in the sector. She urged EU institutions to ensure a strong and inclusive final agreement and to secure an ambitious level of funding.

The Council text also places greater emphasis on the role of digital technologies in shaping the cultural and creative sectors. It encourages the responsible and sustainable use of emerging tools and calls for closer coordination with other EU-level innovation initiatives, including competitiveness-focused funding instruments.

However, financial aspects of the proposal remain unresolved. The Council’s partial mandate does not set the final budget, leaving negotiations on overall funding levels for a later stage. The European Parliament has previously indicated support for increasing the programme’s budget beyond the Commission’s proposal.

AgoraEU itself is a proposed EU funding framework scheduled for the 2028–2034 budget period. It would merge existing programmes, including Creative Europe and CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), into a single structure built around three pillars: Culture, Media+, and Democracy and Civic Rights. The initiative aims to consolidate support for Europe’s cultural industries, media pluralism, and democratic engagement under one coordinated funding umbrella.