The Council for Culture, Audiovisual and Media Affairs
Foto © European Union
The policy areas of Culture and Media were addressed during the Culture and Audiovisual Affairs Council on May 14th, 2024. This Council, which is part of the Education, Youth, Culture, and Sports Council (EYCS) configuration, was chaired by the Flemish Minister of Culture.
In addition to continuing ongoing European culture and media dossiers such as the European Media Freedom Act, we, as chair, took several policy initiatives, including proposals for Council conclusions. Unlike legislation, Council conclusions are not legally binding. They reflect the position of the member states on a particular topic. The Council adopts a political stance on a subject or issue after a debate among member states during the Council working parties.
Foto © Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union / Julien Nizet
Kick-off of the council working groups
Themes and proposals discussed during the Council are thoroughly prepared in Council working parties. These are meetings with representatives from each member state, chaired by the member state holding the presidency.
On January 11th, at the start of the Belgian EU presidency, the members of the Cultural Affairs Committee and the Audiovisual and Media Working Party gathered at the Art and History Museum in Brussels. This event marked the kickoff of the Culture and Media presidency.
The location, just a stone's throw from the Council building in the European district, was purposefully chosen: as early as the 19th century, the museum promoted cross-border cultural exchange between European countries. During this informal meeting, representatives from the member states, the Council, and the Commission had the opportunity to discuss dossiers informally and exchange initial impressions on the planned policy initiatives and conferences.
Foto © Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union / Julien Nizet
Legislation
European Media Freedom Act
An important legislative media dossier was the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). Media freedom and pluralism are essential for democracy and the fundamental values of the European Union. To strengthen media freedom, the European Commission introduced a proposal for EMFA in 2022. After the political agreement at the end of 2023, we worked with the European Parliament and the European Commission to reach an agreement on the full text, including considerations.
The regulation was formally signed on April 11th, 2024, by the President of the Council of the European Union (the Flemish Minister of Media) and the President of the European Parliament. This marked the adoption of a law applicable to nearly 450 million Europeans.
Foto © MEDIALIFE.BE
Council conclusions
Strengthening the cultural and creative sectors through data-driven audience development
Stimulating and supporting the digital transformation of the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS) was one of the key points of the Belgian presidency for Culture. In light of this, we launched a proposal for council conclusions focusing on promoting digital skills within the CCS, facilitating data exchange, and developing suitable (policy) frameworks.
Several member states have already initiated efforts in data collection and communication regarding cultural offerings. However, there is a need for a common framework to consolidate efforts and strengthen collaboration on a larger scale. European cooperation offers many advantages, such as the possibility to exchange data from member states and cultural organisations and to develop shared insights. This aligns with the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026, the strategic document that sets the priorities and actions for EU cultural policy for four years and aims to promote cooperation between member states and address common challenges.
The council conclusions were approved during the Culture Council on May 14, 2024. Thus, the Council encourages member states and the European Commission to support data-driven approaches to audience development.
In the context of these conclusions, we launched, with the support of the ministers of Culture of the Flemish, French, and German-speaking Communities, the call to sign the Ghent Manifesto on February 8, 2024. With this, the Belgian EU presidency calls for structural cooperation between member states, the Commission, and progressive cultural players, and requests the establishment of the European Policy Forum on Data-Driven Audience Development in the Cultural and Creative Sectors. The declaration of intent was introduced during the conference 'Empowering the Cultural and Creative Sectors in Data-Driven Audience Development.'
To support the Council conclusions, we organised the event ‘Empowering the Cultural and Creative Sectors in Data-Driven Audience Development’ in Ghent on February 8-9th, 2024. Read more about this event.
“Influencers are not just sellers of things or services, but also of ideas and opinions.”
Vera Jourova Vice-President of the European Commission
Supporting influencers as online content creators
Within the Media policy domain, we proposed council conclusions on supporting influencers as online content creators. Today, influencers are primarily viewed from an economic and commercial perspective, while their impact on our society and specifically on young people is much broader. The conclusions highlight the growing impact of influencers and call for supporting influencers in that role.
The conclusions emphasise the emergence of influencers as part of the media ecosystem and their impact on the online content consumed by Europeans. They include suggestions to promote media and digital literacy and responsible behaviour among influencers.
Influencers must be aware of the consequences that sharing misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, cyberbullying, and illegal or harmful content can have on their audience's well-being. The Council encourages member states and the European Commission to initiate a policy dialogue with influencers. These conclusions were also approved during the Culture and Audiovisual Affairs Council. It is the first time the Council has taken a stance on influencers and approved conclusions on this topic.
To support the council conclusions, we organised the event ‘Content with Conscience. Conference on the Support of Influencers and Online Content Creators’ in Brussels on February 27th, 2024. Read more about this event.
Foto © European Union
Policy debate for Culture ministers
During the formal Culture Council on May 14th, 2024, we organised a policy debate on the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS). The debate was introduced by guest speaker Nix, who, as a creative AI researcher, provided an interesting perspective on the topic. AI brings new opportunities for content creation, audience engagement, and innovative business models and has the potential to redefine various aspects of cultural expression and business processes. However, it entails several potential risks, such as algorithmic bias, cultural homogenisation, and uncertainty with respect to intellectual property rights.
To navigate these challenges and harness the potential of AI, we, as the Belgian Chair of the Council of the EU, called for a debate on cross-sector collaboration and skills development. Investing in skills and training is crucial for professionals to effectively utilise the new technologies. Sustainable collaboration between sector players, AI experts, and policymakers is needed to ensure AI solutions align with the needs of the CCS and stimulate innovation.
During the debate, the European ministers of Culture and the European Commissioner for Culture discussed possible strategies to support the CCS in utilising AI. They also discussed how EU policies and programs can better respond to the needs of the CCS in utilising AI.
Foto © MEDIALIFE.BE
Breakfast debate for Media ministers
In the margins of the formal Council, the Flemish Minister of Media organised an informal breakfast debate for the media ministers of the European member states. They had the opportunity to share their initial insights on possible changes to the current system of financial support for the European audiovisual ecosystem. The current arrangement is found in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which was revised in 2018 and may be revised again in 2026.
At the start of 2024, the Flemish government introduced a new incentive scheme for Flemish audiovisual productions. This scheme involves increasing contributions from service providers and non-linear television service providers, as well as requiring video platform service providers (such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram) to contribute.
The premise is that all media service providers that benefit from Flemish content should contribute to its production. This addition will economically strengthen the media sector, provide the necessary impulses to the broadcasting system in Flanders, and stimulate the quality and diversity of Flemish program makers and audiovisual producers.
Many member states found the proposed approach interesting and were keen to explore how such an incentive scheme could be implemented on a European scale.