European Social Charter

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      The European Social Charter is a Council of Europe treaty which guarantees social and economic human rights. It was adopted in 1961 and revised in 1996.
      The European Committee of Social Rights rules on the conformity of the situation in States with the European Social Charter, the 1988 Additional Protocol and the Revised European Social Charter.

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      The activity report 2011 of the European Committee of Social Rights is public
      [25/05/2012]  The European Committee of Social Rights has made public its activity report 2011 which contains information on the conclusions and decisions adopted by the Committee on the compliance of the States Parties with their obligations under the European Social Charter and covers  articles of the Charter relating to the rights of children, both inside and outside the labour market, the right to maternity protection, rights related to the protection of the family, the rights of migrant workers and the right to housing in the 39 State Parties. (more information)

      Workshop on the right to work
      [22/05/2012] A workshop on the right to work, legal and philosophical perspectives will be held in London today.  Mr. Colm O'Cinneide, Vice President of the European Committee of Social Rights will speak of the right to work in the European Social Charter. (more information) Programme
       

      European Committee of Social Rights
      Session of the European Committee of Social Rights in Strasbourg      The 258th session of the European Committee of Social Rights will be held in Strasbourg from 23 to 27 June 2012.



      Election procedure for members of the European Committee of Social Rights 
      [09/05/2012] At the 1142nd meeting of the Ministers' Deputies held on 9 May 2012 a decision was adopted concerning  the procedure of electing five members of the European Committee of Social Rights.  
       
      Collective Complaints
      Two complaints are registered against France
       [11/05/2012]  The case Action européenne des handicapés (AEH) v. France, Complaint No. 81/2012, concerns the problems regarding access of autistic children and adolescents to education and access of young adults with autism to vocational training.
      The case Comité européen d'action spécialisée pour l'Enfant et la Famille dans leur milieu de vie (EUROCEF) v. France, Complaint no. 82/2012, concerns suspension of family allowances in cases of truancy.

      The decision on admissibility in the case International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) v. Belgium (Complaint No. 75/2011) has been adopted
      [10/04/2012] The European Committee of Social Rights adopted a decision on admissibility with regard to the case International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) v. Belgium, (Complaint No. 75/2011) at its last session on 22 March 2012.  The decision is now available on line. (more information)

      The Committee of Ministers adopts a resolution with regard to Complaint No. 59/2009 concerning the restrictions on the activity of strike pickets in Belgium
      [04/04/2012] Further to the decision on the merits of the European Committee of Social Rights adopted on 13 September 2011 with regard to the case European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Centrale Générale des Syndicats Libéraux de Belgique (CGSLB), Confédération des Syndicats chrétiens de Belgique (CSC) and Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique (FGTB) v. Belgium (Complaint No. 59/2009), the Committee of Ministers adopted Resolution Res/CM/ChS(2012)3 on 4 April 2012. (more information)

       Collective complaints : January - March 2012  Collective complaints website

      Recent events
      Resocialising Europe, a  international conference held in London
             [20/05/2012] A conference entitled "Resocialising Europe and the mutualisation of risks to workers" was held in London from 19-20 May 2012.  Three members of the European Committee of Social Rights, Mr Colm O'Cinneide, Ms Monika Schlachter and Mr Andrzej Swiatkowski, participated in this conference (more information) Programme

      Seminar on the collective complaint procedure, Rome, May 2012 Seminar on the collective complaint procedure in Rome, Italy
       [12/05/2012] An information seminar on the collective complaints procedure in the framework of the European Social Charter was held in Rome on 17 May 2012, in cooperation with the Italian trade unions CGIL, CSIL and UIL.. Participants in this seminar included two members of the European Committee of Social Rights, Mr Alexandru Athanasiu and Mr Giuseppe Palmisano, as well as Mr Régis Brillat, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter and the European Code of Social Security and Mr Riccardo Priore, Administrator. Programme

      Conference on social rights in times of crisis in the Basque country, Spain
      [12/05/2012]       Luis Jimena Quesada, President of the European Committee of Social Rights, attended a conference entitled "Los derechos sociales en tiempos de crisis: hay solucion,  busquemos alternativas" (Social rights in times of crisis, what are the solutions?), organised by the Ombudsman in the Basque Country (Spain). Programme  (more information)

      Webinar on women's rights to social security protection -- the role of the European Social Charter
      [26/04/2012] Ms. Karin Lukas, member of the European Committee of Social Rights,  participated in a webinar series on "The international initiative to promote women's rights to social security protection" on 26 April 2012.  Ms. Lukas' presentation was entitled "The scope and boundaries of an effective right to social security: the experience of the European Committee of Social Rights. (more information)
       
      See also
      Complaints by year

      2012 | 2011  | 2010
      Collective complaints website

      The Charter in the field
      2012  | 2011  | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007

      Calendar of Events for the 50th anniversary

      Interviews and Multimedia documents 2011

      Theme factsheets

      Roma rights
      Migrant's rights
      Children's rights
      Rights of people with disabilities
      Right to education
      Right to health
      Equality between women and men

       

      Publications


      The Revised Charter exists in 21 languages



      The Social Charter at a glance
      (for other languages click here)

      Recent developments in the collective complaints procedure of the European Social Charter



      Tell me, what is the European Social Charter?



       "Social Rights, human rights in everday life", poster and sticker

       

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      National reports 
      Conclusions 2012

      Consult online reports for the following States : Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan,  Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Gemany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom. (more)
       

      Newsletter of the Committee
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