The negotiation process, which is intended to result in a finalised EU budget for the 2028–2034 period, is well underway. Here, we provide an overview specifically focused on the parts of the multi-billion budget that relate to culture and education.
As is well known, the budget proposal was presented by the European Commission in July 2025. Since then, both the 720 members of the European Parliament and the 27 governments have discussed the new, simplified structure and its implications, as well as the overall expenditure for the Member States, which is expected to increase in order to address the many new challenges Europe is facing.
The European Parliament has advanced furthest in its preparations for the upcoming negotiations and has on 15th April adopted its formal negotiating position when it comes to budget figures, while details regarding the structure and content of programmes still can be open for further negotiations.
The European Council – that is, the 27 governments that will sit on the other side of the negotiating table – has a more extended process for clarifying positions ahead of the negotiations, not least because all countries must agree in order to reach a final decision, due to the requirement of unanimity.
The European Commission also participates in the negotiations with the Parliament and the European Council – hence the name “trilogues” – but is not a direct decision-maker. Its role is twofold: to ensure that the negotiations move toward the overarching objectives, and to act as a mediator by proposing compromises on the budget and its legal texts.
Below is an overview of the status of the three relevant programmes:
AgoraEU
The proposed AgoraEU programme is a new EU funding instrument under the 2028–2034 budget, that restructures and combines elements of the Creative Europe Programme and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV).
The programme is designed as a single legal and financial framework, with fewer predefined budget lines, giving the European Commission greater flexibility in allocating funds. This design is politically sensitive. AEC and other cultural stakeholders fear that merging programmes could dilute the visibility and autonomy of the cultural sector, while civil society organisations are concerned about potential competition for funding between rights-based activities and cultural projects. A central issue is the lack of earmarked budget shares, which creates uncertainty about how resources will be distributed internally.
The European Council will have its first discussion on the proposal, a so-called Partial General Approach at its meeting 12th May 2026.
In the European Parliament the programme proposal is handled by the LIBE Committee (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) together with the CULT Committee. They have not yet launched an opinion document on the content of the programme as internal negotiations are still running. However, as part of its adoption of its negotiation position earlier this month, the European Parliament proposed a budget increase for the programme from 8,6 bn to 10,7 bn euro.
AEC and its partners continue to advocate for several elements to be included in the final programme, most importantly we call for clear funding lines that will create predictability. AgoraEU should include an annex with clear funding lines, such as cooperation projects, networks, cascading grants, artist mobility, etc. The annex should also restore a strong sectoral approach, covering existing sectors (music, books, architecture, heritage) and also visual arts, performing arts, design and crafts.
To support this position, AEC co-signed a letter as part of a broad coalition of more than 500 organisations from across Europe and beyond. You can read the letter here.
Erasmus+
The Erasmus+ Programme is the European Union’s flagship programme for education, training, youth, and sport. It was launched in its current form in 2014, with the original Erasmus scheme created in 1987 to support student exchanges across Europe.
Since its creation, Erasmus+ has become one of the EU’s most recognisable programmes, enabling more than 15 million people – students, trainees, teachers, and youth workers – to study, train, or gain experience abroad. Higher education exchanges remain the largest component.
As a reminder, the programme also funds cooperation projects between institutions, supports innovation in education systems, and promotes European values and identity. Its long-term impact is significant: Erasmus alumni show higher employment rates, stronger international networks, and a lasting engagement with European cooperation.
As a member of the Erasmus+ Coalition, AEC participates in the process influencing the next edition of the programme. The file is handled by the CULT Committee and the deadline for amendments on the EP Erasmus+ report is foreseen for 13 May and AEC is preparing a statement to support the position of Higher Music Education.
While the European Council will have its first discussion on the proposal, (Partial General Approach) in May at the same meeting where AgoraEU is discussed, the European Parliament has already now included Erasmus+ in its budget negotiation position, without formally taking a position on the content. Whereas the Commission budget proposal allocates 40,8 bn euro to the future Erasmus+ programme, the Parliament proposes to increase this figure with 6,5 bn euro.
Compared to the actual need in the whole educational sector, these figures are much too low, and together with the sector AEC calls for a budget of at least 100 bn euro. More details on the position of the AEC regarding the content of the programme proposal will follow in the coming newsletters.
Horizon Europe
The proposed new Horizon Europe Programme (2028–2034) represents a significant renewal compared to the previous programme, reflecting the EU’s ambition to strengthen global competitiveness. With a proposed budget increase from around €95 billion to approximately €175 billion, it reinforces support for scientific excellence, including frontier research and talent attraction, while aligning more closely with priorities such as the green and digital transitions, defence, and technological sovereignty.
A key new feature is its stronger integration with the proposed European Competitiveness Fund, which is intended to support the upscaling and industrial deployment of research results. In this model, Horizon Europe continues to fund research and early-stage innovation, while the Competitiveness Fund helps bring these results to market, bridging the gap between knowledge creation and economic application. This creates a more continuous innovation pipeline – from research to industrial implementation – though it also reflects a shift towards a more strategically oriented and economically driven research policy at EU level.
The big challenge for the Cultural and Creative Sector and Industries (CCSI) is that there is no longer a separate funding line for this area. This prompted Culture Action Europe and the Artistic Research Alliance, of which AEC is a member, to advocate for an explicit cultural component under the so-called Society Pillar and we submitted numerous amendment proposals. The CULT Committee’s opinion on Horizon supports this idea, going as far as proposing that 40% of the Society Pillar be allocated to culture (this would amount to roughly €3 billion).
The ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) Committee of the Parliament which is responsible for this part of the EU budget has just published its draft opinion on the European Competitiveness Fund and despite large efforts it is not good news. The CCSI is almost invisible and further actions are needed to ensure that the Higher Music Education Area will get the necessary predictability and can continue its knowledge creation and innovation.
The European Council has not yet adopted a formal position (General Approach) but is likely to be more conservative. This means that the ambitious increase in budget from the current program’s 95 bn euro to the proposed 175 bn euro is questionable. Additionally – and this can be even more challenging for our sector – the focus is expected to be on defence, strategic technologies and economic impact and return, and less on pure research excellence.
AEC will over the coming months intensify its efforts in the coming months, as well as its collaboration with partners, with the clear objective of strengthening our position in the upcoming Horizon programme.
The arguments are clear: Europe must make far better use of its cultural diversity and creative strengths – not only as a competitive advantage, but certainly also as a strong foundation for our shared human values, social cohesion, and well-being.
