Copenhagen Declaration on the necessity of culture and media as a safeguard for our European democracies
An informal meeting of ministers responsible for culture and media was held in Copenhagen on November 3–4. Denmark, which currently holds the EU Council Presidency, brought together representatives of the European Union Member States, the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, Ukraine, representatives of the European Commission and the European Parliament and experts from the sector to discuss the most pressing challenges, the role of culture, cultural heritage, and media, and joint actions to strengthen Europe's cultural and democratic resilience.
During the working sessions, participants shared their experiences and ideas on how to mobilize available resources for the protection and restoration of Ukrainian culture and cultural heritage, discussed opportunities for cooperation with the European Commission and private partners, as well as obstacles to more effective coordination. Discussions on media issues focused on protecting reliable information in the digital space, strengthening media literacy, and increasing the competitiveness of European content and independent media.
The most important outcome of the meeting was the Copenhagen Declaration on the necessity of culture and media as a safeguard for our European democracies, which was signed on behalf of Lithuania by Raminta Popovienė, Minister of Education, Science, and Sport, who is acting as Minister of Culture. The declaration emphasizes that culture, cultural heritage and free, pluralistic media are integral parts of European identity, helping to preserve historical memory, foster common values, develop critical thinking, and strengthen public trust. It warns of the dangers posed by the digital environment – disinformation, manipulation of information and the impact of artificial intelligence on the reliability of information – and calls for ensuring citizens’ access to reliable information.
The signatories to the declaration commit themselves to promoting cultural diversity, freedom of creativity, freedom, pluralism and independence of media as well as active citizen participation in democratic processes. It stresses that today, when democracies across Europe are facing challenges, it is necessary to strengthen their resilience through culture, cultural heritage and independent media.
Photo by the organizers
Last updated: 10-11-2025