The Directorate-General (DG) Culture and Media is responsible for policy regarding culture (heritage, arts) and media (archives, creative industry), aiming to ensure an independent, diverse, and accessible cultural and media offering for society. Major challenges include digitization, artificial intelligence, pressure and criticism on the rule of law institutions, (hybrid) threats, and significant social developments. The cultural and media sector is also undergoing major transitions, such as the reform of the public broadcasting system.
The Director-General Culture and Media, together with the management team, ensures a future-oriented course for the versatile organization responsible for policy, knowledge, and implementation. He is both strategic and connecting, working for and with practice: creators, governments, institutions, funds, museums and heritage organizations, media parties, and all people who make culture and media possible.
Christianne Mattijssen, director of the Heritage & Arts division at the Ministry of OCW, will hold the position until February 23, 2026.
Mr. Y. (Youssef) Louakili has been Director Media and Creative Industry at OCW since July 2021. Previously, he was head of Governance, System and Legal Affairs at the Primary Education division and deputy head of Education Content and Quality Secondary Education at the same ministry. Youssef is currently following the leadership program TMG TOP of the Directorate-General General Administrative Service and participated in the ABD Candidate Program in 2021 and 2022. He started his career as a secondary education teacher.
This appointment was made through the procedure for the top management group of the General Administrative Service.