On 26 November, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the “Convention on the Co-production of Audiovisual Works in the Form of Series”, the first international treaty specifically dedicated to independent co-production of series intended for television and streaming platforms.
The Convention aims to strengthen cultural cooperation and support independent production in a market dominated by global platform series and increasingly shaped by algorithm-driven recommendations. It also seeks to protect pluralism and safeguard against risks linked to dominant market positions and intellectual property misuse.
For the first time, the treaty extends to serial works a set of common co-production rules previously limited to cinema, adapting them to the specific needs of episodic storytelling. It clarifies administrative procedures and obligations, reinforces the role of independent producers, and establishes principles for a fair allocation of rights and revenues among partners.
The Convention also promotes greater diversity, multilingualism, cultural exchange, and wider circulation of European content, recognising series as public goods and identifying both public and private media service providers as essential to their creation and distribution.
The next step will be the signature by Council of Europe member states in early 2026, with the Convention entering into force once three countries have ratified it.
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