EU Culture Ministers will gather for an Informal Meeting on Monday, June 1, and Tuesday, June 2, as part of the 2026 Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU. The summit will be chaired by the Cypriot Deputy Minister of Culture, Vasiliki Kassianidou.
According to an official announcement from the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, the ministers will arrive on Cyprus on Monday, June 1, and will spend the afternoon taking guided tours of museums in Nicosia.
The core working sessions of the meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 2, at the Nicosia Conference Centre.
The discussions will center primarily on cultural rights and the illicit trafficking of cultural goods, the announcement states.
The Cyprus Presidency noted that the summit will feature two round-table sessions, driven by introductory presentations from keynote speakers and subsequent exchanges of views.
The first panel session covers policy frameworks designed to safeguard culture as a democratic public good. This discussion will place particular emphasis on cultural rights, artistic creativity, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence.
The second panel session will examine ongoing systemic challenges stemming from armed conflicts, alongside legislative strategies to combat the illegal trafficking of cultural property.
