Decree published in the DOF strengthens the FCE

The Economic Culture Fund (FCE) was formally strengthened as the main State agency in charge of publishing, distribution and promoting reading, after the federal Executive reformed its legal framework through a decree published on December 31 in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF).

The document, signed by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, modifies article 2 of the 1994 decree, in order to update and expand its powers, aligning them with the educational and cultural policy of the current government and with the objectives set out in the National Development Plan 2025-2030.

With the reform, the FCE is expressly empowered to “publish, promote, exhibit, distribute and, where appropriate, market books, publications and editorial materials in any medium,” both in national territory and abroad.

The “promotion of reading and books” is established as a central part of its purpose, as well as the coordination of actions with the three levels of government so that its publications reach all sectors of the population.

The decree recognizes that, between 2018 and 2025, the Mexican publishing label developed actions aimed at expanding access to books, including the creation of low-cost collections, the expansion of the network of public bookstores in the country, the mass production of printed and digital copies, and the distribution of works in communities with limited access to cultural goods.

Another relevant point is the definitive incorporation into the FCE of powers that previously corresponded to the General Directorate of Publications of the federal Ministry of Culture.

The reform formalizes editorial and reading promotion functions that the organization had already been carrying out, as part of a process of administrative reorganization that avoids duplication and reinforces public policy on the matter.

The strengthening of the FCE will be carried out under the principles of “republican austerity.” The decree establishes that no budget expansions or increases in the expenditure of personal services will be authorized, and that any adjustment to the organic structure must be made through compensated movements.

The organization will have a maximum period of 90 business days to adapt its internal regulatory framework.