Culture is a fundamental pillar of European integration, Deputy Minister Kassianidou says

At the same time, she stressed that culture serves as a space where the values of the European Union become tangible and experiential for citizens
Deputy Minister of Culture, Vasiliki Kassianidou, presented on Tuesday the key priorities of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the fields of culture and media, stressing that for the Cypriot Presidency, culture is not a supplementary policy but a fundamental pillar of European integration.
During a session of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), Kassianidou noted that the Presidency’s cultural program highlights culture as a bridge for dialogue and shared European identity.
At the same time, she stressed that culture serves as a space where the values of the European Union become tangible and experiential for citizens, both within Europe and in the broader international context.
Kassianidou underscored the critical importance of collaboration in promoting cultural issues. She added that culture and the media are key arenas where European democracy, freedom of expression, plurality, and citizen trust are given tangible, everyday meaning. “It is our belief that culture must be at the center of public policy,” she said.
She also recalled that, as early as the Cypriot Presidency in 2012, the Council conclusions on Cultural Governance had set the goal of integrating culture into the core of public policies. “An institutional legacy that remains extremely relevant today,” she noted.
Within this institutional and political framework, Kassianidou highlighted that the Culture Compass for Europe constitutes a critical strategic milestone. For the first time, the European Union has a coherent strategic policy framework that places culture at the heart of European policymaking, enhancing cohesion and the long-term direction of European action.
She emphasized that the Cypriot Presidency attaches particular importance to the Joint Declaration accompanying the Culture Compass and aims to advance discussions and complete the necessary consultations to secure its adoption by the Council during the Cypriot Presidency.
Referring to the new AgoraEU program, Kassianidou noted that it reflects the contemporary understanding that culture, media, and civil society are not merely policy areas but fundamental infrastructures of European democracy, essential for its resilience. She added that in an environment of rising geopolitical tensions, hybrid threats, disinformation, and pressures on independent media, supporting these sectors is not a luxury but a necessity for the EU’s democratic resilience.
She explained that as part of the EU’s new Multiannual Financial Framework post-2027, AgoraEU aims to fund culture, media, and civil society. “Building on the ‘Creative Europe’ and ‘Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values’ programs, it adds new elements to support media and strengthen democratic participation,” she said.
Kassianidou emphasized that the Cypriot Presidency considers it crucial to ensure that all sectors—culture, media, and civil society—receive the support they need to fulfill their missions. Referring to ongoing discussions on the Proposal at the Council, she stressed that the Presidency’s objective is to reach an agreement in the Council in May.
Regarding the European Capitals of Culture initiative, Kassianidou stressed that it is one of the EU’s most successful and high-profile projects. She recalled that during its more than 40-year history, over 70 cities have been awarded and participated in the program.
She also emphasized that the Cypriot Presidency recognizes the proven and multidimensional added value of the initiative for social cohesion, urban empowerment, and international outreach.
She welcomed the European Commission’s work in preparing the new legal framework for post-2033. “We are ready to begin discussions in the Council, provided the proposal for a new legal framework is presented during our Presidency,” she noted.
The Deputy Minister also referred to another key priority of the Cypriot Presidency: laying the groundwork for the new Cultural Work Program post-2027. “During the Council in May, we plan to hold an exchange of views on issues considered most important for the cultural and creative sectors over the next three years,” she explained.
Regarding the European Democracy Shield, Kassianidou stated that the Presidency considers media literacy and the strengthening of the information space’s resilience to be primarily cultural and educational policies. “We are fully committed to strengthening democracy in the EU, based on the Commission’s Democracy Package, which includes the European Democracy Shield and the European Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Strategy,” she said.
She continued, noting that within the European Democracy Shield, the Media Resilience Program reflects the Presidency’s priorities to enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy, cultivate a resilient information space, and provide funding support for independent and local journalism.
Kassianidou further noted that the Presidency will provide the opportunity to delve into two crucial and interrelated issues during the informal meeting of Culture Ministers to be hosted in Cyprus in March.
Specifically, these themes will focus on the protection and effective implementation of cultural rights, as well as the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods. She emphasized that illicit trafficking thrives in conditions of armed conflict, instability, and crises and poses a serious threat not only to cultural heritage but also to the rule of law, social cohesion, and international security.
Addressing this phenomenon requires coordinated European and international action, strengthening prevention, law enforcement, and the return of cultural goods, as well as utilizing the existing legal framework and exchanging expertise among states and institutions.
She noted that through this dual thematic focus, the Cypriot Presidency seeks to highlight culture as both a fundamental dimension of human rights and a field of responsibility, cooperation, and solidarity, reinforcing the EU’s role in protecting cultural heritage and its associated values.
At the same time, she stated that the Cypriot Presidency aims to contribute substantially to shaping a Europe that invests not only in its economic strength and security but also in culture, knowledge, and the values that define it.
“We are shaping a vision for a stronger, resilient, socially cohesive, and strategically autonomous European Union. A Europe that invests in people, memory, creation, and culture as its connective tissue, approaching culture as the most immediate and universally understood language of European values,” she added.
Closing her speech, she emphasized that, in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, she looks forward to close collaboration with the European Parliament to achieve these common goals.
Responding to MEPs’ questions, the Deputy Minister stressed that supporting and safeguarding the freedom of artists is critical at this time, as they often provide the voices that highlight important social and cultural issues. She noted that funding programs must ensure that artists and creative sectors have the financial resources to continue their work, with freedom of expression remaining a fundamental prerequisite.
Kassianidou also emphasized that culture and the arts are what unite EU member states, as they share common values and institutional frameworks. Within this context, the Cypriot Presidency focuses on inclusiveness, transparency, dialogue with civil society, and sufficient funding for culture.
In statements to the Cyprus News Agency, Kassianidou stressed that Cyprus will benefit from the Presidency by integrating culture more prominently. She explained that this will be achieved by opening Cyprus to more European funds and structural programs, citing AgoraEU as an example.
She also highlighted that the strategic texts “Culture Compass” and “Europe for Culture – Culture for Europe,” presented by Commissioner Glenn Micaleff, will be discussed during the Cypriot Presidency, with the hope of completing them within the semester. She noted that finalizing this chapter would be a major success for the Cypriot Presidency.
At the same time, the Deputy Minister emphasized another important discussion during the Presidency concerning the replacement of programs such as Creative Europe and CERF with AgoraEU, which is expected to begin in 2027.
She explained that, as the last country in the Trio, Cyprus is tasked with handling several cultural issues and stressed that intensive efforts will be made to advance these matters to ensure the cultural sector receives the funding it needs.
Concluding, she stated that culture is the foundation of democracy. “Freedom of expression and the protection of knowledge pass through support for culture,” she noted.
Source: CNA