Karel Bartak worked as a journalist and reporter for the Czech News Agency and other media, including an 11-year assignment in Brussels until 2006. Between 2006 and 2018 he was heading different units in DG Education and Culture of the European Commission. From 2012 till 2018 he was in charge of the Creative Europe program. Since his retirement in early 2019, he works as an independent observer, coordinating, in particular, the EU section on the Info.cz portal.