Negotiations are expected to be intense in the European Parliament over the future AgoraEU support programme for culture and media. The two co-rapporteurs officially presented their draft to their colleagues on Wednesday 3 June, on this programme intended to bring together the financial support from the European budget allocated to culture, media and the defence of EU values over the 2028-2034 period (see EUROPE 13870/24). French MEP Emma Rafowicz (S&D) comes from the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), while Swedish MEP Alice Kuhnke (Greens/EFA) comes from the Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE). Within the two parliamentary committees responsible, which met jointly for the occasion, the first divisions appeared over the content of AgoraEU, which has a total envelope of €8.6 billion, according to the Commission’s initial proposal (see EUROPE 13682/1).
Thus Emma Rafowicz, at the forefront on the cultural component, immediately defended the “compass” which, in her view, “the social conditionality” and the “defence of workers” should constitute in the allocation of funds. The socialist also insisted on the idea of making subsidies conditional on an “ethical use” of generative AI in creations. These should in fact be “based on a significant and identifiable human contribution”, according to the draft report.
“We have questions about the feasibility of some of the new obligations proposed. While fully supporting the principle (...), we wonder whether the whole (...) may not create an excessive administrative burden”, replied the Dutch MEP Brigitte Van den Berg (Renew Europe).
The two co-rapporteurs each highlighted one of the flagship innovations in their draft: the creation of a section dedicated to journalism and information. Its central criterion would be editorial independence and it would benefit from around €1 billion in funding, a tenfold increase compared with the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), according to Emma Rafowicz.
However, “Agora EU should do more to support innovation in the media sector”, said the Slovak MEP Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová (Renew Europe). “Otherwise, democratic scrutiny will struggle to keep pace with technological transformations (...)”, she regretted, while welcoming the “good starting point” produced by the rapporteurs.
More involved in the section linked to the defence of civil society, democracy and the rule of law, Alice Kuhnke, for her part, argued in favour of an increase in funding. Referring, among other things, to the risks of foreign interference, she stressed that Agora EU “should be regarded as an integral part of the European agenda aimed at strengthening security and competitiveness”.
“In the media sector, as well as in civil society, there is in fact a need far greater than the funding available at this stage”, added Parliament Vice-President Sabine Verheyen (EPP, German).
Moreover, Alice Kuhnke emphasised her proposal to create an “emergency mechanism” to help elements of civil society facing “significant pressure”. For example, “in the form of a strategic lawsuit, a smear campaign or a brutal reduction in funding”.
The Swedish MEP (Greens/EFA) also insisted on restoring the ‘Daphne’ programme, a funding instrument dedicated to combating gender-based violence and violence against children.
On the far right, several MEPs denounced the references to gender equality in the draft report.
The deadline for the tabling of amendments was set for 18 June. (Original version in French by Clément Solal)