Borboly Csaba participated, as rapporteur for the AgoraEU programme, in the third meeting of the ad hoc political steering group on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) within the European Committee of the Regions, held in Brussels. The meeting was convened by Kata T\u00fctt\u0151, President of the European Committee of the Regions, and brought together all 22 rapporteurs responsible for opinions related to the future MFF.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
In his intervention, Borboly Csaba stressed that access to funding for culture, identity, and national and ethnic minorities cannot be a matter of negotiation in the European Union\u2019s new budget for 2028\u20132034. He called on his colleagues to reflect these priorities in their own opinions, emphasizing that these are not isolated issues but fundamental elements of the social impact of all EU programmes.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
As he highlighted, AgoraEU is not simply a cultural programme. It is the only MFF instrument that simultaneously supports local cultural infrastructure, minority and regional languages, community media ecosystems, and democratic civil society organizations. Without this foundation, the results of other programmes risk remaining only on paper.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
Borboly Csaba also pointed out that while the European Social Fund supports social integration, AgoraEU provides the cultural cohesion without which integration cannot be sustainable. While recovery programmes rebuild communities, AgoraEU contributes to the identity that gives those communities meaning. And while Horizon funds innovation, AgoraEU strengthens the creative ecosystem from which innovation can emerge.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
\u201cOne justification, one reference \u2014 and this MFF can speak with one voice about European values,\u201d Borboly Csaba stated during the discussions in Brussels.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
During the meeting, he presented increasingly concrete proposals in three interventions. First, he emphasized the need for the horizontal integration of culture and values, then he invited colleagues to bilateral discussions, and finally he outlined which elements of AgoraEU could be incorporated into other opinions.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
According to his proposal, each rapporteur should include a sentence in their document acknowledging that cultural participation and civic values contribute to achieving the objectives of their respective programme. This would not require additional funding or override programme goals, but it would send a clear political message that the European Union takes the role of culture seriously.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
Borboly Csaba continued bilateral discussions during the breaks between negotiations. According to him, these direct exchanges are essential to ensure that aspects related to culture, identity, and minority access are reflected not only in a single programme but across the entire budget package.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
The next important milestone will be the 171st plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions, scheduled for 5\u20136 May 2026, where the AgoraEU opinion will be submitted for adoption. Until then, the goal is to continue consultations with key rapporteurs and prepare amendments that integrate the cultural and values dimension into other MFF opinions as well.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n
The message is clear: cultural cohesion, identity, and access to funding for national and ethnic minorities are not negotiable. The European Union\u2019s next budget can only be truly strong if it recognizes that without culture, there is no sustainable Europe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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