“Culture in the Next EU Budget”: Highlights from the High-Level Roundtable
On 23 September 2025, the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation was invited by the European Parliament to join a high-level roundtable event with the cultural sector on the future of culture in the EU budget.
Organised by the European Parliament Cultural Outreach Unit, the gathering brought together Members of the European Parliament, and more than 80 representatives of pan European cultural networks and organisations gathered to discuss how Europe can best support culture in the years ahead.
The high-level roundtable “Culture and the MFF opened with Philipp Schulmeister, Director of Campaigns at DG COMM, who outlined the work of the Cultural Outreach Unit. Moderator Fabien Miclet, independent consultant, then introduced the Commission’s draft proposal for the EU budget and the panellists:
- Nela Riehl, Chair of the CULT Committee,
- Hannes Heide, rapporteur on the CULT Committee,
- Carla Tavares, co-rapporteur of the Parliament’s MFF own-initiative report.
The discussion focused on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034 and funds allocated culture and the newly proposed AgoraEU Programme, highlighting both opportunities and challenges in ensuring that culture remains central to the European project.
What followed was a vibrant exchange between MEPs and cultural networks. From music to cinema, crafts to education, and youth orchestras to mobility projects, voices across the spectrum called for a Europe that not only funds culture but also protects artistic freedom, invests in professional training, and opens doors for artists and cultural workers to move, learn, and create. Many underlined concerns on the future of the Creative Europe programme and the urgency of embedding culture into broader EU priorities—climate, social inclusion, competitiveness—ensuring that culture and creativity have clear earmark and also a streamlined strategy across fundings and programmes.
One phrase captured the spirit of the afternoon: “Strengthening culture strengthens Europe itself.”
The roundtable a called for continued dialogue – not only between EU institutions, but also with Member States – and closed with the final remarks from a representative of the Danish Presidency of the Council.
It was a very important platform for cultural organisations to gather and express the sector’s needs and priorities ahead of the upcoming Council negotiations this Autumn, and to engage with Members of the European Parliament, policymakers, and institutional representatives. Now the work continues to ensure that the next EU budget truly reflects Europe’s cultural heartbeat.
