European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Micallef at Brussels Book Fair Brussels, 25 March 2026 Monsieur le Bourgmestre, Mesdames et Messieurs, Thank you for having me here. And congratulations on this 55th edition of the Brussels Book Fair. Tonight, I would like to honour 2 forces that quietly shape Europe: our curious readers. And our creative minds. Europe is a continent of stor...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Micallef at Brussels Book Fair Brussels, 25 March 2026 Monsieur le Bourgmestre, Mesdames et Messieurs, Thank you for having me here. And congratulations on this 55th edition of the Brussels Book Fair. Tonight, I would like to honour 2 forces that quietly shape Europe: our curious readers. And our creative minds. Europe is a continent of stories, languages, and culture. Book fairs like this one are more important than people think. They are places where stories circulate. Where ideas meet. Where we can have honest conversations about the future. About how we live, how we read, and how we write. Across Europe, this life of books lives every day in a vast network of around 66,000 libraries, and even more bookshops. These are places where books are stored or sold. They are places where people meet, talk, and connect. Where communities are built. Where we come together. Because whilst Rules may help organise Europe, Culture, and books, bring people together. This is what holds Europe together. This is also a personal hope of mine. That one day, across Europe, we celebrate Europe Day not only in institutions. But in these places. In libraries, in bookshops, among readers. Spaces where people meet, read, and share stories across languages and borders. I would like to invite all of you, the book sector, to help make this a reality. I believe it could become one of the most meaningful and symbolic ways to celebrate Europe. Because books help us think. They make us question and understand each other. They spark imagination, nurture creativity, and build empathy. They capture history, and keep culture alive. And all of this is essential for a healthy democracy. Your theme, “ Defying the future,” invites us not to fear what lies ahead, but to engage with it. To shape it. Places like this fair introduce us to new voices. And we must continue to give those voices space to grow. Recently, during European Authors Day, I had the pleasure of meeting Weronika Marczak, a young Polish author. In discussion with others from the book world, she spoke about how vital it is to give emerging writers a platform. This is exactly what programmes like Creative Europe and the European Union Prize for Literature aim to do. Open doors. Widen audiences. And allow stories to travel across borders, showcasing the richness and diversity of culture in Europe. As Commissioner responsible for Youth, Sport and Culture, I see reading as a priority. We need to make it a habit again, especially among young people. Alongside sport, reading is one of the healthiest alternatives to screen time. It slows us down, helps us focus, and opens up the world in a deeper way. That is why, through Creative Europe, we support the translation of more than 500 books each year. And it is why we launched European Authors Day, bringing writers into schools, libraries, and bookshops. Just last year, I had the joy of hosting a multilingual reading session with children at Mechelen Library, where stories in different languages sparked curiosity, laughter, and conversation. Making reading a shared, human experience. An experience that connects us to our roots. And in a few moments, I will meet young Ukrainian children here at the Fair. I am honoured to present them with books from Tales of E-Ukraine, a project by the Federation of European Publishers, supported by Creative Europe. These books help them stay connected to their culture and share it with others. Let me turn now to those who create and carry these stories. Writers, publishers, booksellers, librarians, translators, illustrators. They are essential to our cultural life and to our democracy. We are committed to supporting them, protecting their artistic freedom, and ensuring they can make a living from their work. At the same time, we must be honest about the challenges ahead. Artificial intelligence brings new opportunities, but also real risks. I am listening closely to concerns from the cultural and creative community. About how their work is used, about fair remuneration. About how digital platforms today are publishing several books per day. Something that no human author could do. These issues raise serious questions about fairness, quality, and trust. We want to work with the tech sector. But this must be a genuine partnership. What is at stake is our culture, our diversity, and the value of human creativity. This is why we are preparing an AI strategy for the cultural and creative sectors. To ensure that technology supports human creativity, not replaces it. Ladies and gentlemen, If we want strong democracies, and open, empathetic societies, we need books. Thank you to the organisers, the volunteers, and to all of you who keep this world of books alive. You can count on the European Union as a strong partner for a diverse and multilingual book sector. I wish you a wonderful fair. Merci beaucoup. SPEECH/26/730
Speech Brief