Audiovisual sector calls on Member States to reject 30% cut to AgoraEU
14 October 2026
News
The SAA has joined 15 other organisations representing Europe’s cinema and audiovisual sectors in a joint letter urging EU Member States and the Irish Presidency to reject the proposed cuts to AgoraEU in the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework.
Under the Irish Presidency, the proposed reduction to the programme has grown from 4% to 30%, bringing it down to €6 billion from the Commission’s proposed €8.58 billion. This is a disproportionate burden when the overall EU budget faces a cut of around 8%. The signatories warn that the Council’s envelope would provide only around €1 billion more than the combined current budgets of Creative Europe and CERV, most of which would be absorbed by inflation for the MEDIA strand alone.
The organisations call for a distinct MEDIA strand of at least €3.5 billion, and for Member States to restore at least the Commission’s proposed allocation ahead of the forthcoming European Council discussions. They also point out that the cut would contradict the Council’s own conclusions of November 2025 on the strategic role of culture and audiovisual works in upholding European values and democratic resilience.
Read the full letter below.