The EBU replaces its Reference Group with a new ESC Committee following pressure from national broadcasters VRT and NPO ahead of Eurovision.
After almost three decades, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is dismantling the Reference Group and establishing a new committee in its place to return decision-making power to member broadcasters.
The decision follows heavy pressure from Belgian national broadcaster VRT and Dutch national broadcaster NPO, which recently announced their participation in Eurovision 2027. These countries demanded transparency, tighter oversight, and direct involvement in sensitive decision-making after the events of recent years, during which Israeli participation remained at the center of the storm.
The dissolution of the Reference Group, which was established back in 1998, ends an era of governance within the EBU. The new committee that will be established in its place (ESC Committee) will report directly to the EBU Executive Board and transfer decision-making authority to EBU member broadcasters regarding all matters related to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Key Governance Changes Introduced by the EBU
According to a document obtained by the Belgian Eurovision website Songfestival.be, several insights emerge regarding the committee’s regulations and structural modifications:
- Cancellation of Commercial Sponsorship: The collaboration with Israeli sponsor Moroccanoil will permanently end following the recent contest. This decision follows anti-Israeli speculation alleging that the partnership led to vote-buying for Israel and influenced the results.
- Commitment to Values: Participating broadcasters will be required to explicitly affirm the values of the contest, including universality, diversity, equality, independence, and inclusion.
- Highlighting Contest Vision: Placing a stronger emphasis on the history and values of the contest, including a campaign reinforcing that the slogan “United by Music” is a unifying mission rather than just a tagline.
- Voting System Changes: The Eurovision voting system is expected to undergo further changes and stricter supervision, although specific operational details have not yet been released at this stage.
These clarifications build upon additional rules introduced by the European Broadcasting Union ahead of Eurovision 2027. Measures include a ban on promotional campaigns that grant an unfair advantage or negatively impact voting under threat of sanctions, automatic stripping of hosting rights from a winning country in cases of security instability or a sensitive geopolitical situation, as well as raising the minimum age of participation from 16 to 18.
At present, the EBU has not yet released the exact date on which the new committee will begin operations, the identity of its chairperson, or the selection method for its representatives. Currently, Ana María Bordas from Spanish national broadcaster RTVE leads the Reference Group, having been elected in March 2025 for a two-year term, but her status in the new structure remains open.
Participation Status: Who Confirmed and Who Continues to Boycott?
Despite the official return of Belgian national broadcaster VRT and Dutch national broadcaster NPO, the internal rift across Europe continues to deepen. VRT CEO Frederik Delaplace clarified that the broadcaster’s return does not signify legitimization of events in Gaza or elsewhere, noting that the EBU has stopped evading complex geopolitical questions. NPO Executive Board Chair Jet de Ranitz added that the Dutch requirement was to bring the unifying character of the contest back to center stage.
Conversely, other national broadcasters refuse to back down. José Pablo López, Chairman of Spanish national broadcaster RTVE, declared before a parliamentary committee in Madrid that his position remains firm and that Spain should continue boycotting the broadcast. Similarly, Irish national broadcaster RTÉ announced that it refuses to return and will continue to be absent from Eurovision 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Eurovision 2027: The 71st Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria, following the country’s first historic win with the song “Bangaranga” performed by DARA. This will be the first time the contest is hosted in Bulgaria.
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Nicole Postelnik is a reporter and commentator specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. She has been following the competition since 2015, and since then, her love for Eurovision has grown stronger year after year.
