Polish broadcaster TVP joins ARTE as an associated member
October 17, 2026 00.34 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

European cultural channel ARTE has signed an association agreement with Polish public broadcaster TVP, expanding its European partner network to 15 members.

The agreement will take effect on 1 January 2027.

ARTE President Heike Hempel and Tomasz Sygut, Director-General of Telewizja Polska (TVP), signed the agreement in Warsaw on 16 October 2026 during a summit on the film industry and co-production policy. The event was organised by Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Marta Cienkowska, in cooperation with the Institut Français in Warsaw and the Polish Film Academy.

The agreement provides for increased co-productions between ARTE and TVP, with the aim of developing joint projects and bringing more European stories and perspectives to audiences across the continent. It can be renewed after two years.

“ARTE is very much looking forward to working with TVP, which opens up numerous opportunities for joint projects and high-quality co-productions,” Heike Hempel said. She added that the agreement sent a strong signal for cooperation within the Weimar Triangle, the political partnership between France, Germany and Poland.

According to Tomasz Sygut, the agreement was an important step towards restoring the broadcaster’s standing and credibility, highlighting the role of public service media in countering disinformation and strengthening national resilience.

“I am delighted that we are resuming our cooperation and returning to the European family of public service media,” he said. “I am confident that numerous valuable joint projects lie ahead of us.”

Under the association agreement, TVP will also have an advisory voice in ARTE’s key bodies, including the General Assembly of ARTE GEIE, the European Economic Interest Grouping responsible for the broadcaster’s operations.

The agreement marks a renewed phase of cooperation between ARTE and TVP, while strengthening the European broadcaster’s network of public service media partners. The network also includes NPO in the Netherlands, Suspilne Ukraine, SVT in Sweden, RTVE in Spain, RAI Com in Italy, RTÉ in Ireland, ORF in Austria and RTBF in Belgium, among others.