Belgium

[BE/IT] Co-production Agreement between Belgium’s French Community and Italy

IRIS 2000-8:1/30

Marie-Anne Buron

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

On 31 August 2000, Belgium’s French Community and the Italian Republic signed a three-year renewable agreement aimed at supporting the co-production of cinematographic works.

According to the agreement, cinematographic works co-produced in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in it are regarded as domestically produced and thus reap the benefits associated with this classification. The conditions for enjoying these benefits are as follows: scriptwriters, producers, directors, performers and technicians must have Belgian or Italian nationality or be a national of a European Union member state; the shooting, the post-production and the development of the negative must take place exclusively in the territory of the parties to the agreement with exception; the proportion of the input of one party’s co-producers must amount to at least 20%; the credits and advertising material must mention the co-production between the French Community and the Italian Republic; and an application for authorisation must be made to the competent authorities (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali [Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities], Centre du cinéma et de l’audiovisuel [Film and Audiovisual Centre]) before shooting begins. The agreement also provides for co-productions with third countries and for a film to be added to the quota of the party with the majority contribution in the case of exports to a country that imposes film import quotas.

The implementation of this agreement is monitored by a joint commission set up under its provisions.