European Social Charter

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.


 FOCUS

Seminar on the collective complaint procedure, Rome, May 2012Seminar 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)

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.  

European Committee of Social Rights
Session of the European Committee of Social Rights in Strasbourg
The 257th session of the European Committee of Social Rights will be held in Strasbourg from 21 to 24 May 2012.Agenda

 


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

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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