Historic Day in Brussels

Today, the SEDEC Commission of the European Committee of the Regions unanimously adopted, with no votes against and no abstentions, the opinion on the AgoraEU programme, for which I served as rapporteur. This represents not only a professional achievement, but also an important political step forward.

The cultural and civic programmes of the European Union are financed from shared European resources. However, until now, out of the €8.6 billion budget allocated to this field, the main beneficiaries have been major cities in Western Europe. Many regions and local communities were excluded from access to funds to which they were entitled.

Today, this has changed.

The adopted opinion clearly states that European culture and democracy cannot be complete without national and ethnic minorities. We succeeded in making these communities visible within EU programmes. Important steps were also taken to strengthen geographical balance, ensuring that resources are not concentrated exclusively in central regions. Micro-grant schemes have become mandatory, offering real funding opportunities for associations and local communities. Local contact points will be established in every region to facilitate access to programmes; traditional crafts will be supported; local media will receive stronger protection; and the voice of local communities will be reinforced.

The strength of this decision is also demonstrated by the broad political support it received: Greens, Socialists, Conservatives and Liberals alike backed the opinion. When a report is well-grounded and serves the interests of all of Europe, there is no room for political dispute.

There are many challenges and many legitimate expectations across Europe. This is why a clear division of responsibilities is needed: everyone must act where they have competence and opportunity. For me, this means Brussels. The real mistake would be not to make use of this space.

Today, we did.

We move forward.