Future of Europe | Civitates

Negotiations on the next EU long-term budget—the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)—are ongoing and key decisions are being taken about the future of Europe. Within this context, the Future of Europe project advocates for a strong AgoraEU programme that places culture, civil society, and independent media at its heart to ensure that EU-level funding safeguards European democracy.

The project is implemented by a coalition of six organisations (Centre for Sustainable Media, Civil Society Europe, Culture Action Europe, European Civic Forum, European Federation of Journalists, and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties) and is funded by Civitates: The European Democracy Fund.

In the face of rising populist, authoritarian narratives, and in the context of competitiveness, resilience and security taking centre stage of the European policy agenda, it is vital that the EU supports the cultural and creative sectors, ensures a well-resourced civil society, and priorities free independent media to meet its long-term democratic goals. Through building upon our Ask, Pay, Trust and Cultural Deal for Europe campaigns, Culture Action Europe will carry out an array of outreach activities, policy dialogues and mobilisation efforts to advocate for these causes and for a strong, robust AgoraEU programme for the Future of Europe.

This Project has been supported by Civitates, a collaborative initiative of the Network of European Foundations (NEF).

Image credit: Civitates: The European Democracy Fund (2026)