The first-ever legal framework dedicated to international TV co-productions will be unveiled at next week’s Series Mania.
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset will attend the Lille confab on Thursday to sign the convention, which was first trailed last year.
The legal framework says it will “advance independent production of and cultural cooperation in televisual or streaming series” across Europe. It will introduce a set of co-pro rules, which are similar to what already exists in the world of film. The aim, in part, is to streamline administrative procedures and clarify obligations to make it easier for producers from different countries to work together. There will be rules and clarification around revenue sharing, access to funding and data transparency.
“Series are one of the defining cultural forms of our time, reaching audiences across borders and bringing different perspectives into our homes,” said Berset. “With this convention, we are opening a new international framework to support independent producers and strengthen cooperation. I encourage all 46 Council of Europe Member States – and countries beyond – to join us in making culture a force for cooperation and democracy.”
The announcement will be made at Series Mania, which has long been seen as a bastion of European co-production. Co-pros across Europe have become ever more crucial in recent times as money from America dries up, and a number of partnerships between different nations have been struck of late. Series Mania Director Laurence Herszberg called the signing “historic” and said it will “bring more diverse stories to audiences across Europe and beyond.”
After the Series Mania signing, the treaty enters a phase of signature and ratification by
member states of the Council of Europe or states party to the European Cultural Convention. It will
enter into force once three states have ratified it. The timeline will depend on the pace of national
procedures.
This year’s Series Mania co-pro pitching sessions features projects ranging from Kyrgyzstan to Canada. Series Mania runs March 20 to 27.
