On 7 July 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution outlining a comprehensive new strategy for media literacy and digital learning, urging the European Commission to propose legislative amendments and strengthen EU coordination to empower citizens against disinformation and platform risks. The non-legislative own-initiative report, drafted by the Committee on Culture and Education, calls for integrating media literacy into EU democracy initiatives such as the EU Democracy Shield, establishing a monitoring framework with measurable indicators, and enhancing cooperation among public and private stakeholders including the Media Literacy Expert Group and EDMO.
The resolution is structured around three pillars. The first pillar focuses on empowering all age groups with basic digital skills and calls for a structured monitoring and evaluation framework. The second pillar targets the modern media ecosystem, urging a coordinated EU approach to age-appropriate access to online platforms, targeted amendments to the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) to expand rules to influencers and AI-generated content, codes of conduct for influencers, enforcement of media literacy obligations under AVMSD and the Digital Services Act (DSA), and media literacy impact assessments by very large online platforms. It also calls for stable EU funding via programmes such as AgoraEU and enhanced cooperation between the Media Literacy Expert Group, the European Media Services Board, and the European Board for Digital Services. The third pillar promotes a holistic education system, calling for media literacy to be recognised as a basic skill, incorporated into school curricula, and supported by a European guide and educational materials. It also calls for assessing the impact of digital devices and AI tools in education, with possible targeted restrictions in early childhood education, continuous training for educators, public awareness campaigns, lifelong learning for adults and vulnerable populations, and strengthening public libraries as digital learning hubs.
The resolution has significant implications for EU and Member State policy. It urges the Commission to propose legislative amendments to the AVMSD and to review DSA guidelines on minors' online safety, which could lead to stricter regulatory obligations for video-sharing platforms, influencers, and very large online platforms. The call for a common EU approach to age-appropriate access to social media may influence national age-verification laws. The emphasis on media literacy impact assessments by platforms could reshape platform design and algorithmic accountability. The resolution also reinforces stable, long-term EU funding for media literacy under programmes like AgoraEU, and promotes cross-institutional cooperation, thereby strengthening the EU's institutional architecture for media literacy governance. The resolution now awaits the Commission's response, which is expected to include legislative proposals and a review of existing guidelines.