Lithuania and the European Commission Discuss Cultural Priorities for the First Half of 2027 EU Council Presidency
Jūratė Radzevičienė, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, met with Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, to discuss legislative work and policy priorities in preparation for Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2027.
A key legislative priority will be the negotiations on the new EU programme AgoraEU, covering culture, media, citizenship, democracy, human rights and equality for the period 2028–2034. Lithuania aims to advance negotiations with the European Parliament and work towards a final political agreement on the programme. Lithuania will also seek a political agreement on the future of the European Capitals of Culture initiative beyond 2033 and its legal framework. In addition, the Presidency will lead discussions on the review of the legal framework for the European Heritage Label.
Alongside the legislative agenda, Lithuania will promote policy discussions on culture and democratic resilience, culture, creativity and European competitiveness, and cultural heritage and crisis preparedness. These priorities will be addressed through ministerial discussions and expert-level events during the Presidency.
The first policy discussions will take place at the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers of Culture in Vilnius on 4–5 March 2027, a series of expert-level events will further explore the role of libraries and media in strengthening societal resilience and civic engagement, as well as the contribution of the cultural and creative sectors to European competitiveness.
More information here.
Last updated: 27-10-2026
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