The Ministry for Culture, Arts and Local Government has announced that Malta is among the first countries to sign the European Convention on the Co-Production of Audiovisual Works in the Form of Series.

Malta has signed the Council of Europe Convention on the Co-Production of Audiovisual Works in the Form of Series, ”a step that strengthens international cooperation and continues to open up new opportunities for Maltese producers and creatives in the audiovisual sector, the Ministry said.

The signing took place in Lille, France, during the opening ceremony of the Convention at the Series Mania festival. Malta is among the first countries to sign the Convention and is part of a group of 9 countries that signed this European instrument at the earliest opportunity.

Minister for Culture, Arts and Local Government, Owen Bonnici, welcomed the signing and said that it reflects the Government’s commitment to continue to drive the internationalisation of creative industries, particularly the audiovisual sector.

“This Convention reflects Malta’s commitment to creating new opportunities for our audiovisual sector and to strengthening European cooperation in this area,” said Minister Bonnici. “We have wasted no time in being at the forefront of providing opportunities for our producers to benefit from a framework that facilitates international co-productions of series.”

The Convention, adopted by the Council of Europe in November 2025, is the first international legal framework specifically dedicated to the independent co-production of series intended for television and streaming platforms.

It creates a common basis for the status of “official co-production,” promotes bilateral and multilateral co-productions and strengthens the safeguards of rights and the distribution of profits between co-producers. The framework also promotes more structured cooperation between competent authorities and facilitates the mobility of technical and artistic professionals who play roles in these productions.

The signature of the Convention is the first step in the formal process and indicates a political commitment to its objectives. The Government will now proceed with the necessary domestic procedures linked to the implementation of the Convention, the Ministry said.

Ambassador Pierre Clive Agius signed the European instrument on behalf of Malta.

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