This Week in Arts & Culture — Brussels (#21, 2026)
Culture ministers meet informally; CULT committee adopts report on media literacy; EU-UK talks include digital safety.
May 31, 2026 to June 06, 2026
Culture ministers meet informally; CULT committee adopts report on media literacy; EU-UK talks include digital safety.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• 🤝 EU Council
• ✒️ EP Committee Work
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week
EU Council
Culture Ministers Hold Informal Meeting on Cooperation
The Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council convened an informal meeting of culture ministers on 1 June 2026. The session provided a forum for exchange on advancing cross-national initiatives in the arts and creative industries.
EP Committee Work
CULT Committee Adopts Media Literacy Report
On 3 June 2026, the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) adopted a report on media literacy and digital learning, noting that education policy remains a national competence but digital challenges are cross-border. The report urges the Commission to recognise media literacy as a basic skill and seek funding under the upcoming AgoraEU programme (2025/0550(COD)). Members request further measures on protecting minors, monitoring national programmes, and labelling AI-generated content. The committee proposes a system to assess media literacy actions and public awareness campaigns, with the report passing by 18 votes in favour, 2 against, and 5 abstentions.
CULT Committee Considers Opinions for Draft Cohesion and Social Fund Regulations
The CULT committee held an ordinary meeting on 3 June 2026, discussing draft opinions for regulations that affect arts and culture. Agenda items included the European Social Fund under Regulation (EU) [NRPPlan] for 2028–2034 (2025/0239(COD), rapporteur Isilda Gomes, S&D) and the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion for 2028–2034 (2025/0240(COD), rapporteur Hélder Sousa Silva, PPE). The committee also reviewed strategies for media literacy (rapporteur Marcos Ros Sempere, S&D) and the Erasmus+ programme for 2028–2034 (2025/0222(COD), rapporteur Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski, PPE), marking steps toward broader support for creative and educational sectors.
What We're Reading This Week
- The French intellectuals uniting against the far right, despite their differences: Prominent French thinkers are setting aside personal disagreements to form a united front against the rise of the far right.
- Simone Bellotti brings a poetic restraint to Jil Sanders: Simone Bellotti infuses Jil Sander collections with subtle elegance, emphasizing refinement and simplicity in his creative direction.
