Credit: MCULT
On Thursday 26 March 2026, Luxembourg’s Minister of Culture, Eric Thill, signed the Council of Europe Convention on the co-production of audiovisual works in the form of series at the Séries Mania Forum 2026 in Lille, the largest market dedicated entirely to television series.
The official opening ceremony for signature took place under the presidency of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, and in the presence of representatives from numerous European states.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Film Fund Luxembourg, this new convention constitutes the first international legal instrument dedicated to the co-production of audiovisual series. It aims to strengthen cultural diversity, support independent producers and promote increased cooperation between European countries in a rapidly evolving sector, marked by the rise of global platforms, the growing importance of audience data and a more complex intellectual property environment.
By establishing common rules on financial participation, rights, creative contribution and transparency, the convention will allow international co-productions to benefit from a status equivalent to that of national works in partner countries. This mechanism will facilitate access to public funding and serve as an important tool for financing series, particularly for smaller audiovisual industries. Through this signature, Luxembourg reaffirms its commitment to a more balanced, innovative and resilient European audiovisual ecosystem.
“The signing of this convention marks a decisive step for the future of European series. It provides independent producers with a fairer, more transparent framework better suited to the realities of a globalised market. For Luxembourg, this is a strategic instrument that will strengthen our capacity to co-produce, attract talent and promote our stories beyond our borders,” said Minister Thill.
As an early signatory, Luxembourg will actively contribute to the implementation of the convention and to future work of the Council of Europe in this area, including the interpretation of technical annexes and the further development of the framework. The country’s audiovisual sector is expected to benefit from a more secure environment for international co-productions, along with greater transparency in exploitation data and a more balanced sharing of value.
The convention forms part of broader European efforts to strengthen the financing and circulation of audiovisual works, while adapting these tools to the specificities of the series market, which is characterised by rapid change, increasing international competition and growing investment.
