Call to Action: Secure Design’s Place in the EU Work Plan for Culture 2027+
As Member States shape the next EU Work Plan for Culture 2027+ and the Culture Compass, we should advocate that Design is included as a priority area and supported through a dedicated Open Method of Coordination* (OMC) cycle or expert process. This is essential if Design is to be reflected in national cultural policies and funding throughout the next programme period. With final voting expected in November 2026, time is short.
While recognition of Design in policy discourse has grown, it rarely translates into concrete instruments or structural funding. Yet Design is a strategic asset for a prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive Europe, and a proven method for innovation, policymaking, and systemic change.
The next EU Work Plan for Culture is the key opportunity to turn recognition into action. A dedicated OMC or expert group could generate recommendations, evidence, and peer learning needed to strengthen Design’s role in national strategies and funding programmes.
We encourage you to contact your Ministry of Culture and urge them to support the structural inclusion of Design as a priority in the next EU Work Plan for Culture 2027+. As experts in your national context, you are uniquely positioned to demonstrate the value that Design brings to society, the economy, and public policymaking.
To support these efforts, BEDA has prepared advocacy materials, including draft proposal texts and background argumentation:
- a 200-word draft text for inclusion in the upcoming Work Plan itself (20260707_BEDA_200words_EU_Work_Plan_for_Culture)
- a longer version with argumentation for your understanding (20260707_BEDA_EU_Work_Plan_for_Culture_&_Argumentation)
If you use these BEDA proposal documents in your outreach, we kindly ask that you copy the BEDA Office (office[at]beda.org) on your correspondence with ministry representatives, helping us coordinate advocacy efforts and maintain an overview of engagement across Member States.
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*A short and superficial explanation of OMC:
Open Method of Coordination (OMC) is an approach where EU Member States exchange best practices at the governmental level with the support of relevant experts. The OMC is a step-by-step EU process: ministers set broad goals, countries turn them into national policies, then everyone agrees on benchmarks to track progress and results get reviewed, with the details (timing, strictness) varying by policy area. It’s more “intergovernmental” than typical EU lawmaking, meaning national governments and the Council drive it while Parliament and the Court of Justice have little say. The Commission is formally just a monitor, but in practice it can nudge the agenda, which is why some see the OMC as a subtle way for the Commission to gain influence in policy areas it doesn’t officially control. Those OMC processes are the foundation for policies, from the European Union to national or regional aspects.