The Belgian EU presidency for Media programme
From January 1 to June 30, 2024, Belgium is, even more so than usual, the beating heart of the EU. This generates a lot of additional international attention and is an excellent opportunity to showcase the Belgian expertise. As presidency, we are not only responsible for maintaining the continuity of the EU agenda and ensuring good cooperation between the member states, while also having the chance to emphasize our own priorities.
The media priorities during the Belgian presidency are:
- Completing the European Media Freedom Act.
- Facilitating knowledge exchange on digital transformation of media and media innovation.
- Promoting support for online content creators and influencers.
What is Flanders’ role in the Belgian EU presidency Media programme? Read all about it.
The Culture Council
EU ministers responsible for Audiovisual Affairs and Media come together during the Culture Council. An important dossier that will be addressed here is the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). Media freedom and pluralism are essential for democracy and are therefore fundamental values of the EU. To strenghten media freedom, the European Commission put forward a proposal for EMFA in 2022. Flanders will lead the team of the Belgian Presidency with the aim of finalizing the work on this file.
In addition to continuing the ongoing European agenda, as the chair, we will also propose council conclusions on 'supporting influencers and online content creators'. Unlike legislation, council conclusions are not legally binding, but they represent the position of the member states on a specific theme. Therefore, following debates among the member states, the Council takes a political stance on a subject or issue.
The subject of 'supporting influencers and online content creators' is a theme on which Flanders has already made significant strides with the launch of the influencerFAQ. Today, influencers and online content creators are still primarily viewed from an economic and commercial standpoint, while their influence on our society and specifically on young people extends much further. By placing this theme on the European agenda, the Belgian presidency aims to draw attention to this broader impact and take the first steps in supporting influencers and online content creators in this broad role.
Events
Content with conscience. Conference on the support of Influencers and Online Content Creators – February 27, 2024
Tuesday, 27 February was dedicated to influencers and online content creators during the ‘Content With Conscience’ conference in Brussels. With a varied programme of engaging speakers and panels, experts and policymakers had the opportunity to delve into this current topic.
We welcomed over 200 participants from 31 countries, including influencers, media professionals, and policymakers. Together with them, we focused on two key questions: What is the role of influencers and online content creators in the media landscape, and how can they be supported in that role? Not only did experts speak, but influencers from various EU member states also shared their experiences and needs. The following topics were discussed:
- the role of influencers in the media landscape
- online hate speech and cyberbullying
- disinformation
- the mental well-being of creators and their followers
- advertisers and responsible influencing
- ‘kidfluencers’ and ‘sharenting’
- the ethics of influencers
- the role of online platforms
This conference was organised in support of the work in the Culture Council, specifically the council conclusions on supporting influencers and online content creators.
Watch the aftermovie:
Media Innovation Xchange. Conference on Digital Transformation and Media Innovation – March 13 to 14, 2024
The media sector is constantly evolving. The rapid emergence of numerous technological innovations presents significant opportunities, but also unprecedented challenges. On 13 and 14 March 2024, we organised a conference focused on the digital transformation and innovation of the media sector. In the impressive Royale Belge building in Watermael-Boitsfort, we brought together 51 international speakers and 232 experts and policymakers to exchange expertise. Key themes included:
- disinformation
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- virtual reality (VR)
- video gaming
- data management
- the role of public broadcasters
- the digitisation of traditional media
- the ethical boundaries of innovation
The goal of the conference was to explore and clarify the opportunities and challenges related to digital transformation and innovation in the media sector, together with the experts and policymakers in attendance. As the Belgian presidency, we aimed to strengthen the European media sector and contribute to future European media policies and programmes.
Watch the aftermovie:
