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Welcome to Intercult’s and Europa Direkt Stockholm’s seminar at the Folk och Kultur Convention in Eskilstuna, on February 5!
The title of the seminar is “The place of culture in the future of Europe” and will focuse on how the role of culture is shaping future EU policies and budget negotiations. At a time when Europe is dealing with a series of crises, from the erosion of fundamental values to wars at its borders, it is crucial to position culture as Europe’s reliable compass. The discussion will be based on the recently launched “Culture Compass for Europe” – the European Commission’s strategic framework that sets out 4 directions for the EU’s future work on culture.
The seminar takes place at Hotel Bolinder Munktell – Ångvälten/Tändkulan Thursday, February 5, 2026, time: 11.15 – 12.15.
Meet leading experts and stakeholders from European networks and institutions for a conversation on why culture must be seen as a necessity, not a luxury, and how we can shape Europe’s future cultural policy together.
Participants:
- Moderator: Iwona Preis, CEO, Intercult and Smart Coop SE
Panelists:
- Mats Berglund (MP), Chair of the Swedish Parliament’s Culture Committee
- Simon Norrthon, President, Scen & Film trade union
- Sara Edström, Chair, KRO (The Artists’ Association of Sweden)
- Ann Traber, Case officer, Swedish Arts Council, Creative Europe Desk Culture
Link to the seminar at Folk och Kultur’s website.
Background:
What is the Cultural Compass?
Launched on November 12, 2025, the Culture Compass for Europe is the European Commission’s new strategic framework for culture.
The Culture Compass aims to guide EU policy by highlighting 20 flagship actions and four strategic directions:
- A Europe that upholds and strengthens European values and cultural rights.
- A Europe that empowers artists and cultural workers and supports citizens.
- A Europe that uses culture and heritage to become more competitive, resilient and cohesive.
- An EU that leads international cultural relations and partnerships.
The launch was accompanied by a proposal for a joint declaration, ‘Europe for Culture – Culture for Europe’, which sets out a long-term strategic vision to place culture at the heart of Europe’s identity.
Read more about the Cultural Compass in our November 2025 article.
Challenges and requirements in cultural policy
The Culture Compass and the discussion on its implementation address several pressing challenges. The cultural sector, represented by networks such as Culture Action Europe, has contributed with a Sector Blueprint (released in September 2025) which calls for specific actions.
Among the challenges addressed by the Cultural Compass are:
- Freedom of expression – Defending artistic and media freedom.
- Working conditions for artists – Improving fair and sustainable working conditions for cultural and heritage professionals. Many in the sector have to work multiple jobs, and young people find it difficult to afford the essentials.
- Intellectual property rights and AI – Dealing with artificial intelligence (AI) and its disproportionate impact on artists and cultural creators.
- Protection of cultural heritage – Special protection in conflict zones like Ukraine.
To meet these challenges, the sector is calling for stronger safeguards at EU level, such as an Artistic Freedom Actand a Directive on decent work in the cultural sector. Culture must be recognized as a fundamental part of the democratic and civil infrastructure.
Future budget and AgoraEU
Year 2026 is a key year for the negotiations on the EU’s long-term budget, the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034. The implementation of Culture Compass requires sufficient financial resources.
The campaign Cultural Deal for Europe (CDEU) continues to demand that at least 2% of the future total EU budgetis earmarked for culture, heritage and creative sectors through a dedicated culture program. This contrasts with the current Creative Europe program which represents less than 0.2% of the budget.
The new dedicated cultural program in the next MFF is proposed to be called AgoraEU. The aim is for AgoraEU to become a strong and well-resourced flagship program for culture, similar to Erasmus. However, many voices in the EU, such as MEP Hélder Sousa Silva, argue that 2% is not enough and that the ambition needs to be raised significantly.
Meet leading experts and policy makers involved in these negotiations and discussions – including from Culture Action Europe – to discuss how we can ensure that culture is recognized as a necessity (necessity) and not just an asset, and how we can ensure a strong AgoraEU-fund to support the freedom of creation and risky projects that represent Europe’s unique added value.
Read more about AgoraEU here.
