Several international legal standards developed by the Council of Europe – notably the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter and the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats – have been successfully invoked to help advance environmental issues. With these instruments, the Council of Europe has emphasised the undeniable link between human rights and a sustainable environment.
Eurimages' mission is part of the broader objectives of the Council of Europe, which makes it even more necessary to take sustainable development issues into account. Many public and private organisations have already been active in this field and concrete measures are already in place. Eurimages wishes to draw inspiration from these experiences. The European Audiovisual Observatory's conference "Boosting sustainable film through international collaboration" held in June 2021 laid the foundations for the Fund's reflection and coincided with the launch of the Eurimages Sustainability Study Group. Furthermore, Eurimages intends to carry out its work on a strategy and action plan in the light of the framework of the Structured Dialogue "Towards a climate-neutral audiovisual sector" led by the European Commission - DG CONNECT.
Strategic objectives
As part of its 2025-2027 strategy, Eurimages is committed to strengthening its action in favour of sustainable development through five complementary objectives aimed at structuring, supporting and harmonising sustainable practices in international co-productions.
1. Collecting information on sustainable development for expert groups
Eurimages will strive to improve the quality and consistency of information on sustainable development provided in applications for co-production support. This objective seeks to equip groups of experts with standardized, reliable and comparable data to optimise project evaluation, promote the identification of good practices and contribute to better integration of environmental issues into Eurimages' decision-making process.
Eurimages will adopt a progressive approach to environmental certification for supported productions to support the sector's transition to more sustainable practices. The Fund will thus be able to draw up an indicative map of recognized eco-production certifications, respecting the diversity of national systems while ensuring a common quality base. Incentives may be considered to encourage the voluntary adoption of these certifications during a transitional phase. Ultimately, Eurimages aims to achieve 100% certification of films. By relying on third-party verification mechanisms, this approach aims to strengthen the credibility of projects' environmental commitments without burdening the evaluation process or creating obstacles for producers in different Member States.
3. Education and capacity building
Eurimages will continue to develop the StepUP online learning platform, in partnership with Ecoprod, to strengthen the audiovisual sector's skills in eco-responsible production. Designed as an evolving resource, this platform will soon be expanded. Eurimages aims to support all professionals in their transition towards an effective and sustainable ecological transition. StepUP could be used as a training tool for experts evaluating projects, the Eurimages Secretariat, the Board of Management, and producers applying for Eurimages co-production support.
4. Sector monitoring / Statistical analysis
Eurimages intends to structure an effective monitoring framework to better understand the environmental dynamics and impacts of the projects it supports. The use of data from co-production funding applications, coupled with information gathered from the Study Group on Eco-Production, will identify sectoral trends, recurring challenges and priority levers for action, without seeking to provide exhaustive monitoring of the sector.
5. Collaboration with the industry and harmonisation
Eurimages will strive to strengthen its coordination with other players in the European audiovisual sector to promote a concerted approach to sustainable development. By deepening its partnerships with key public institutions and facilitating exchanges at the international level, the Fund wishes to encourage the sharing of existing knowledge and tools. Without seeking to impose new standards, Eurimages favours an approach based on interoperability and complementarity, while respecting the diversity of local practices and frameworks.
Eurimages' action on sustainable film industry falls within the broader framework of the Council of Europe's commitments, with the adoption in 2025 of an Environmental Strategy affirming the importance of human rights in responding to ecological challenges.
Strategic objectives
