The Council of Europe Adopts Landmark Convention on Series Co-Production - Industry / Market - Europe

Key Takeaways

• First international legal framework for series co‑production
• Nine European nations signed at Séries Mania Forum
• Clarifies rights, financing, and administrative processes
• Supports independent producers against platform dominance
• Promotes cultural diversity and multilingual storytelling

Summary

The Council of Europe adopted a convention on co‑production of audiovisual series, the first international framework dedicated to independent series co‑production. Nine countries—France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Poland and Portugal—signed the agreement at the Séries Mania Forum. The treaty establishes clear rules for rights, financing and administration, aiming to boost cross‑border collaboration and protect independent producers. It will enter into force after ratification by three member states, opening a new era for European serial content on global streaming platforms.

Pulse Analysis

The explosion of serialized storytelling on television and streaming services has reshaped Europe’s audiovisual market over the past decade. While feature‑film co‑production treaties have existed since the 1990s, series—now the dominant format for audience engagement and investment—have operated without a dedicated legal scaffold. This gap left independent producers navigating a patchwork of national rules, often risking fragmented rights and uneven revenue splits. The Council of Europe’s new convention directly addresses this void, offering a continent‑wide template that mirrors the stability long enjoyed by cinema collaborations.

Signed by nine founding members at the Séries Mania Forum, the convention codifies three core pillars: transparent allocation of intellectual‑property rights, standardized financial participation ratios, and a unified administrative procedure for cross‑border projects. For independent producers, the treaty translates into predictable cash‑flow models and stronger bargaining power when negotiating with global streaming giants. By delineating ownership stakes across multiple seasons, the framework also safeguards long‑term exploitation revenues, encouraging creators to invest in higher‑budget, multi‑season narratives without fearing dilution of their stake.

Beyond commercial mechanics, the agreement reinforces Europe’s cultural agenda by facilitating multilingual collaborations that reflect the continent’s linguistic mosaic. As more co‑productions emerge under the treaty, audiences can expect a richer array of stories that blend regional perspectives, enhancing the global competitiveness of European series against U.S. and Asian content. The convention will become legally binding once three signatories ratify it, a milestone that could trigger a cascade of additional ratifications. In the long run, a cohesive co‑production ecosystem may attract new private investment and bolster public funding programs such as Eurimages.