EU education and culture ministers on 12 May 2026 agreed a partial general approach on the AgoraEU regulation, merging Creative Europe, Media, and CERV strands for the 2028-2034 period, with Bulgaria breaking consensus over terminology incompatible with its constitutional court jurisprudence on fundamental rights.
The Cyprus presidency presented the compromise text at the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council. Commissioner Henna Virkkunen praised the balance, noting it maintains core objectives and flexibility. Most member states supported the text, but several pushed back on specific points. Belgium and Spain called for minimum funding percentages per strand to ensure predictability, with Spain noting it would have preferred explicit allocations for media plus. Portugal stressed preserving Creative Europe's legacy and access for smaller markets. The Netherlands requested clear sub-strands within media plus for news and audiovisual. France urged explicit mention of European autonomy and special treatment for overseas territories. Germany highlighted media policy as a defining moment, suggesting TikTok should be transferred to European hands.
Bulgaria formally rejected the approach, submitting a statement citing terminology incompatible with its constitutional court jurisprudence on fundamental rights. All other speakers thanked the presidency for balanced work.
negotiations with the European Parliament after it adopts its position, with budget allocations tied to MFF talks. Affected stakeholders include cultural and creative sectors, audiovisual and news media, civil society, and fundamental rights groups.