The European Union is beginning a review of its 2016 Joint Communication on international cultural relations. This policy brief argues that the review presents an opportunity to reconceive the scope and purpose of EU-level coordination of international engagement. Drawing on a 25-jurisdiction comparative study published by the British Council in March 2026 (the ‘Trends study’) and on a practitioner-academic workshop held at the NRW Representation in Brussels on 5 March 2026, it proposes a broader framework oriented towards influence, resilience, security, and democratic legitimacy. The brief concludes that the approach best suited to the EU’s distinctive character is one that extends coordination beyond culture to encompass education and science; establishes strategic alignment mechanisms rather than a single strategy; positions European regions as active contributors; and invests in the evidence base required to understand what multi-level soft power coordination actually achieves.