EU ministers will gather in Brussels on 15–16 May for a meeting of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) Council. The agenda includes approving a series of conclusions and resolutions as well as holding debates, including an exchange of views on the [European] Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
Youth
On Monday, the sessions will be chaired by Swedish Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed and will be attended by Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Andriy Chesnokov. In the morning, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU will submit its conclusions on the social dimension of a sustainable Europe for youth for approval by the ministers for youth (see EUROPE 13130/20). The text stresses the importance of encouraging young people to participate in politics and educating them on the issues of sustainable development and inclusion as well as mental health.
The [EYCS] Council will also vote on two resolutions. The first addresses the outcomes of the 9th cycle of the [EU] Youth Dialogue and calls for this initiative and its visibility to be bolstered. The second introduces a revised work plan for the ‘EU Youth Strategy 2022–2024’ (see EUROPE 13155/19).
Finally, ministers will discuss the integration of young people, especially Ukrainians, into society. With regard to this, a study by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has pointed out that language is a particularly critical factor (see EUROPE 13133/15).
Sport
After an informal lunch dedicated to how athletic activities contribute to maintaining an active lifestyle at any age, the afternoon will remain devoted to sport. In particular, the [EYCS] Council is expected to green-light the revised rules on Member States’ representation in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (see EUROPE 13171/30).
Ministers for sport will also discuss [ensuring] respect for human rights during international sporting events. At issue will notably be corruption, working conditions, and the use of these competitions as an instrument to “sports wash” reputation—all of these themes raised by how the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was organised and ‘Qatargate’.
Whereas Lithuania plans on addressing the issue of protecting Ukrainian athletes during international sporting events held in the EU, a senior official said that it would be “surprising” if ministers did not mention Russia’s participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He nevertheless stressed that this would not be the subject of a joint declaration due to the lack of EU competence in this area.
Culture
The next day (Tuesday, 16 May), ministers for culture will hold a public debate on the [European] Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which will be chaired by Swedish Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand.
As the Swedish Presidency is to present its progress report (see EUROPE 13174/25), Member States will be invited to share which points are, in their opinion, the most important ones to resolve in order to reach a common position in the [EU] Council. According to one senior EU official, the safeguards for the independent functioning of public service media (Article 5), the exceptions that can justify the use of spyware (Article 4), and the actions that very large platforms must take before removing media content (Article 17) are still the subject of disagreement among EU countries.
To round out the session dedicated to culture, ministers will notably approve conclusions on exiled artists (see EUROPE 13163/6) and will discuss EU support for Ukraine’s cultural and creative sectors.
Education
The afternoon will be devoted to education under the chairmanship of Swedish Minister for Schools Lotta Edholm. Ministers will vote on a resolution on [creating] a European Education Area by 2025 (see EUROPE 13166/30) and on conclusions regarding automatic mutual recognition of qualifications (see EUROPE 13157/22). They will also discuss the importance of reading as a vehicle for active inclusion in society.
Lastly, over the course of these two days, the Spanish delegation will present its work programme with regards to education, youth, culture, and sport, while its presidency is to begin in July.
Consult the agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/6u0 (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)