From January 1st to June 30th, 2024, Belgium held the presidency of the Council of the European Union. This is a role that member states take turns fulfilling, and it won’t be Belgium's turn again for another thirteen years. Due to Belgium's rotational system, Flanders was responsible this time within the EYCS configuration for both the Culture Council (which includes Media) and the Youth Affairs Council. This presidency was, therefore, a unique opportunity for the Flemish Department of Culture, Youth, and Media.

Our ministers fulfilled their presidency role with distinction leading the sessions of the Culture Council and the Youth Council over the past six months. They successfully acted as neutral mediators and achieved remarkable results. Flemish perspectives were added, and issues and policy matters important to Belgium were placed on the European agenda.

Organising a presidency of the Council of the European Union is no small task. To ensure the success of the Council sessions, department staff undertook years of preparatory work. As the presidency approached, additional temporary staff were hired. Many employees of our department have directly and indirectly contributed to the substantive and operational preparations and can be proud of of their work. Their efforts extended beyond merely chairing the Council of the EU.

The themes and proposals were thoroughly prepared within council working groups. These working groups, chaired by our department colleagues, included representatives from each member state.

During the presidency, we organised several major international events to emphasise our substantive priorities. Policymakers, industry stakeholders, and experts from across Europe became acquainted with our strengths and expertise, engaging in in-depth dialogue.

I present you with a comprehensive overview of our department's role during the presidency, along with insights into the significant results that were achieved.

Happy reading!