This Week in Arts & Culture — Brussels (#13, 2026)
EP Budgetary Control Committee issues discharge report; focus on EU cultural funding transparency; Creative Europe and Erasmus+ evaluations delayed; administrative error rates in grants reviewed.
April 05, 2026 to April 11, 2026
EP Budgetary Control Committee issues discharge report; focus on EU cultural funding transparency; Creative Europe and Erasmus+ evaluations delayed; administrative error rates in grants reviewed.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• 📅 This Week's Calendar in Brussels
• ✒️ EP Committee Work
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week
This Week's Calendar in Brussels
- Committee on Culture and Education (CULT): On April 15, the European Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: Chair’s announcements; Coordinators’ meeting; Date of next meetings.
- Committee on Culture and Education (CULT): On April 16, the European Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: Chair’s announcements; Coordinators’ meeting; Date of next meetings.
EP Committee Work
Committee on Culture and Education: Opinion on 2024 EU Budget Discharge Highlights Funding Execution, Programme Accessibility, and Delayed Evaluations
The Committee on Culture and Education submitted its opinion on the 2024 discharge of the EU general budget (2025/2145(DEC)), focusing on the implementation of culture and education programmes. The committee noted a significant acceleration in budget execution for DG EAC-managed programmes, with improved absorption capacity, but found that individual mobility allowances in Erasmus+ remained inadequate to cover living expenses, affecting participation for vulnerable groups. Demand for mobility and cultural funding continued to exceed available budgets, with Creative Europe application numbers outpacing resources. The committee welcomed improvements in EACEA’s IT systems and budget execution, as well as corrective actions addressing irregularities in personnel cost reporting. However, it expressed concern over the absence of interim evaluations for Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, and Creative Europe prior to the legally defined deadline. The opinion also highlighted positive support for Ukrainian cultural and educational integration, and the popularity of initiatives such as DiscoverEU, though capacity constraints limited access. The committee called for further simplification, transparency, and accessibility in programme management, especially for small organisations and individuals with fewer opportunities.
What We're Reading This Week
- Euphoria, Francis Bacon and more: The best things to do, hear, see or watch in Europe this week: From major art exhibitions to new TV releases, Europe offers a vibrant array of cultural events and experiences this week.
