Commentary

EU Council Plans to Invite Content Creators to Ministerial Summits, Leaders’ Meetings

Published on May 13, 2026

The Council of the European Union is developing a pilot program to grant social media content creators access to EU leaders’ summits and select ministerial meetings, according to reporting by POLITICO.

The initiative, set to launch in July, will allow up to 10 content creators per event to enter areas of the Council’s Brussels headquarters currently restricted to accredited journalists. A Council official confirmed the program aims to “engage with content creators to reach new audiences to inform about Council activities.”

Participating creators will not receive press credentials or question access. “Content creators will be accompanied at all times and will not be treated as media,” the Council official said. Access will include the press room and doorstep areas.

EU member states will determine which creators receive invitations, according to POLITICO’s sources.

Broader Context

The Council’s move follows similar steps by other EU institutions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has met with influencers on multiple occasions and invited them to her State of the Union address. The Commission has also distributed influencer kits as part of recent campaigns.

The program emerges in the midst of shifting media consumption among European youth. A European Parliament Youth Survey found that 42% of Europeans aged 16 to 30 use social media as their primary source for political and social news, surpassing television at 39%. Trust in platforms such as TikTok and Instagram is highest among those aged 16 to 18, with 51% and 52%, respectively, viewing them as reliable news sources.

Europe’s Creator Economy reached $32.8 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to $157.3 billion by 2032, according to a Coherent Market Insights report for Paris Creator Week.

Industry Response

The proposal has drawn criticism from traditional media representatives. “Influencers in press conferences and at summits will not have to disclose who pays them,” the International Press Association said in a statement. “By contrast, EU-accredited journalists are not expected to accept payment in return for writing nice stories.”

Reaction among EU government officials was described as “lukewarm” by one diplomat who attended last week’s working party on information, according to POLITICO.