“Security, Europe” is the motto of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which began on 1 January 2025. Poland will be in the driving seat of discussions among EU countries in a challenging time marked by conflicts. According to its statement, the Polish presidency's task will be to "convince all 27 EU member states that Europe can continue to be the safest and most stable place on earth".
As it turns out, security and stability will be the top priorities over the next six months, but some good news for the cultural sector is also included in the programme of the Polish Presidency.
The Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council aims to initiate a discussion on the future of the Creative Europe programme after 2027, the future budget and the direction of EU support for the cultural and creative sectors, for which Creative Europe is the main source of funding.
Young people, the professional status of artists and strengthening European identity are some of the other issues on the Polish Presidency's cultural agenda.
Specifically in the area of culture, the Polish Presidency will develop and facilitate work towards the adoption of Council conclusions on supporting young creators, focusing on the status of artists and creators in the creative sectors at the beginning of their professional careers.
In the area of youth the Polish Presidency will strive to strengthen the European identity among young Europeans based on the values of the Treaties. A high-level discussion will be initiated on a community of young Europeans based on universal values for a common and secure Europe.
In view of the rapidly changing media environment and the need for an in-depth analysis of the functioning of media regulation before the Commission presents a legislative proposal, the Polish Presidency will launch a discussion on the need for a revision of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS Directive). The Presidency will develop and facilitate work with a view to adopting Council conclusions on the evaluation of the legal framework for audiovisual content delivery services.
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Photo credit: Håkan Dahlström
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