By merging audiovisual and news into a single pillar of its “AgoraEU” proposal, the European Commission has opened a predictable political front: the two sectors are joining forces to denounce the risk of competition for funding and are demanding strict budgetary guarantees. In Brussels, the debate has now moved beyond technicalities and raises the question of the very role of the EU in funding culture and the media. As negotiations on the future AgoraEU program progress, concerns within the creative sector are becoming more pronounced. In a joint statement published on April 22, representatives from the film, audiovisual, and press sectors call on European institutions to secure “fair and predictable” funding, in the face of a framework deemed too uncertain. The heart of the problem lies in the very structure of the program proposed by the European Commission. By merging support…
