Finland: EBU criticises proposed cuts to VRT funding
October 2, 2026



The Flemish government has this week announced financial plans that include further budget cuts for VRT. This marks the second time in just nine months that the government has breached VRT’s management contract, which took effect on January 1st 2026 and was agreed on July 22nd 2025. The proposed cut of around €10 million by 2029 come on top of the €16.6 million in savings VRT is already delivering as part of a far-reaching digital and future-focused programme.

The EBU highlights that Article 5 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) requires Member States to guarantee adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for public service media.


Noel Curran, EBU Director General, said: “VRT is doing exactly what a public service media organization should: delivering outstanding content and reach on one of the lowest funding levels in Western and Northern Europe. Demanding more cuts, on top of savings already under way, is indefensible. The EBU stands firmly with VRT and calls on the Flemish government to reconsider these cuts.”

This continues a longer trend, highlights the EBU: VRT receives 31.5 per cent less public funding than it did 20 years ago, even as its remit has grown. At €3.70 per inhabitant per month, its funding is among the lowest in Western and Northern Europe, compared with €8.70 in Germany. Despite this, VRT reaches 90.6 per cent of people in Flanders every week, including 86.7 per cent of young people.

“Decisions that revisit VRT’s agreed resources mid-contract inevitably raise questions of predictability and sustainability, as enshrined in the EMFA. The EBU strongly urges the Flemish government to consider this budget proposal in light of Belgium’s obligations under the EMFA before proceeding further,” concluded the EBU.