Tetyana Berezhna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture, has signed the Council of Europe Convention on the Co-production of Audiovisual Works in the Form of Series (CETS No. 230), known as the “Lille Convention”, together with Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The signature took place on 19 September in Bukovel, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ukraine. Ukraine is the 12th country to sign the Convention, following its opening for signature in Lille, France, on 26 March 2026.

Nine countries signed at the opening ceremony: France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Poland and Portugal. The Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom subsequently signed the Convention on 15 May 2026 in Chișinău.

A new framework for international series co-production

The Lille Convention is the first international legal framework dedicated specifically to the independent international co-production of series for television and streaming platforms. It extends to series the multilateral co-production framework that has existed for cinema since 1992 through the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production.

The final text was adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 25–26 November 2025. The Convention will enter into force once three countries have ratified it, including at least two Council of Europe member states.

Ukraine is already a member of Eurimages and a Party to the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production (ETS No. 147) and the Council of Europe Convention on Cinematographic Co-production (revised) (CETS No. 220). Ukraine’s signature further extends the geographical reach of the Convention and strengthens the framework for international co-operation in the audiovisual sector.