Alain Berset, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, spoke on Thursday at Seriesmania about the Treaty on the Co-production of Audiovisual Works in Serial Form.
“This is the very first international framework for series. It will strengthen independent producers, support collaboration and bring more clarity and predictability to the market in a complete transformation. What exactly does this mean? This is an international engagement, something concrete to support what you are doing. And to do this at a national level,” he said at Seriesmania, arguing that independent producers “need a framework they can trust”.
Signing will begin on March 26th, and Berset will also be present at the ceremony.
“Our friends Georgia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Poland and Portugal will sign on. After that it will be open to everyone who wants to participate. We expect this to develop really quickly,” he said.
“This is a strategic signal for the future resilience and competitiveness of European production. Join this treaty! We are stronger when policy makers, creators, public service media and industry come together. This is exactly the goal we pursue with this document.”
The Convention is open to all 46 Member States of the Council of Europe. As stated, this “will be an important step for the European and international audiovisual sector. It will strengthen cultural cooperation, support independent producers and increase transparency in a rapidly changing world.”
“A nation’s identity is not nationalism. Protection is not protectionism. In times like these, the choice is not between cooperation or competition. We need both. The outside world is not waiting for cultures to catch up.”
Berset praised the series for relying on “an unusual combination of imagination and connection.”
“Everyone finds a surprise pilot, an intriguing character, and a cliffhanger that pulls you in, episode after episode. No other medium creates connections in quite the same way. As I look into this room, I realize that Europe as a continent has a unique way of telling its own story. I can’t help but think that we’re forgetting the law. What does Europe give to a storytelling tool as powerful as yours? A way to remind people of who we are, what we’ve built in the past, and why it still matters.”
He asked the audience to imagine the “opening scene.”
“University of Zurich, 1946. What does this mean for a Europe still in ruins? Churchill takes to the podium and insists that there is only one way forward for Europe: reconciliation between former enemies. This is not fiction, this is what actually happened, and how the Council of Europe was born.”
Instead of accepting Europe as a new reality, he called for a united front as Europe “goes deeper into rapture” and tests its limits every day.
“As Europe invests in military security, what are we investing in to strengthen our democratic security? It starts with institutions that people can trust. It sounds obvious, but it is not. The audiovisual sector also relies on the same democratic conditions. Independent production, creative freedom, and fair access to audiences, not access distorted by opaque algorithms or market forces that concentrate power in the hands of a few. This is exactly where our worlds are meeting, and that’s why we need to work together more.”
He stressed the importance of “coordinated investment in Europe’s ability to create, finance and distribute unique stories at scale.”
“We know that investment works, but that alone is not enough. Investment also needs the right framework, and that requires rules,” he said, adding: “Democracy remains the greatest story of all.”
Ahead of Berset’s remarks, Anne Bouvelot, president of Seriesmania, said: “We live in a world of increasing tension.”
“Despite increasing political polarization and increasingly rapid technological disruption from AI, we are thrilled that the audiovisual sector is not standing still. It is proving its resilience, forging bold new alliances to adapt, innovate, and reimagine the future.”
Bouvero said the United States, which has “long been the dominant force in global storytelling in our field,” is becoming increasingly inward-looking and “focused on its domestic market.”
“Meanwhile, other regions and markets, particularly Asia, are moving forward, opening new dialogues, building common financing mechanisms and creating unprecedented new partnerships. In Europe? Institutions are not only stepping up and supporting the audiovisual sector economically and financially, but also recognizing its strength as a pillar of democratic values.”
Initiatives like the competition are “helping strengthen an industry that is in the midst of tremendous change.”
