Culture and Education (mandate ended)

Bringing people together through education, culture and sport

The EPP Group is committed to strengthening the European Union's objective of bringing people together. We believe that education, culture and sport are essential in achieving this goal.

Our remit is broad, encompassing issues related to education, the dissemination of culture, the protection of cultural diversity, audio-visual policy, information and media policy, youth, and sport.

To support education and mobility, we have advocated for the doubling of the budget for the 'Erasmus+' program until 2027. The Erasmus+ program, an EPP Group initiative since 1987, has enabled over 12 million people to benefit from mobility support for their education, training, youth, and sports activities. Our 'DiscoverEU' initiative, launched in 2018, has given nearly 30,000 young Europeans who turned 18 a chance to explore the continent and its rich cultural heritage. We have also doubled the budget of the 'Creative Europe' program, which supports the mobility of Europe's artists and cultural and creative workers. This program has provided much-needed support to cultural and creative sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and reinforces the participation of Ukrainian artists.

The EPP Group makes the young generation a top priority for Europe. In 2022, the European Year of Youth, we secured an additional €8 million for the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programs to support the year's activities. We fully support the European Parliament's commitment to creating a legacy of this year and its intention to address the significant issues that emerged from it.

Fundamental rights and liberties are also at the core of our concerns, and we have been working on the upcoming European Media Freedom Act. This act seeks to establish rules to protect media pluralism and independence in the EU, including developing EU-wide safeguards against political interference.

Lastly, the EPP Group is committed to preserving the European sports model, which ensures the principles of financial solidarity, sustainability, and inclusiveness for all.