[ Last update: 19/03/2010]

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 Seminar on the European Social Charter to be held in Belgrade (Serbia)
Following Serbia's ratification of the Revised Charter in September, a seminar will take place in Belgrade on 24 March with the aim of providing information and assistance to Serbian authorities to allow for a wider application of this instrument.  This seminar will be attended by two members of the European Committee of Social Rights,  Mr Rüçhan IŞIK and Ms Jarna PETMAN, as well as two adminstrators from the Department of the European Social Charter, Ms Niamh CASEY and Mr Gerald DUNN. 
Programme
Serbian factsheet

Exchange of views between the European Committee of Social Rights and Mr Skouris, President of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
On 15 March 2010, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) held an exchange of views with the President of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Mr Vassilios Skouris in the presence of the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Mr Jean-Paul Costa. (more)

Montenegro is the 30th State to ratify the Revised European Social Charter
<08 March 2010> The President of the European Committee of Social Rights, Mrs Polonca KONCAR welcomed Montenegro's ratification of the Revised Charter on 3 March 2010, making it the 43rd State Party to the Charter (and the 30th to the Revised Charter). She commended Montenegro for its commitment to core social rights and noted with satisfaction that the ratification had been helped along by good cooperation between the Montenegrin authorities and the Council of Europe. Mrs KONCAR also expressed her hope that the four member states that have not yet ratified the Charter (Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland) will do so in the near future.
Country factsheet for Montenegro

  <03 March 2010> The Permanent Representative of Montenegro, Ambassador Zoran JANKOVIC, transmitted to Thorbjorn JAGLAND the instruments of ratification for the Revised European Social Charter  (Entry into force on  01/05/2010).
Table of signatures and ratifications

 

Training session for prosecutors held in St Petersburg

<03 March 2010> Mrs Elena VOKACH-BOLDYREVA, Council of Europe expert on the European Social Charter, presented the Revised Charter as a completion of the European Convention of Human Rights at a training session organised for prosecutors from 3 to 5 March in St. Petersburg (Russian Federation). She also spoke of the process of ratification of this instrument by the Russian Federation.
Programme

The Netherlands - The denial of the right to shelter for children unlawfully present on its territory is contrary to the Revised Charter
<1 March 2010> In a decision which became public on 28 February with regard to the collective complaint Defence for Children International (DCI) v. the Netherlands (no. 47/2008), the European Committee of Social Rights held that States Parties are required to provide adequate shelter for children, even if they are unlawfully on their territory, for as long as they are in their jurisdiction. This not being the case in the Netherlands, the Committee held the situation in this country to be in violation of both Article 31§2 (right to housing) and Article 17§1.c  (protection of children) of the Revised Charter.
Summary of 47/2008
Decision on the merits

France - Housing conditions of Travellers in violation of the Revised Charter
 <1 March 2010> In a decision which became public on 27 February with regard to the collective complaint European Roma Rights Centre (“ERRC” ) v. France (no. 51/2008), the European Committee of Social Rights held that there is a violation of the effective right to housing of Travellers leading to social exclusion and discrimination, (failure to create a sufficient number of stopping places, poor living conditions and operational failures at these sites, lack of access to permanent housing and unjustified violence during eviction from stopping places) and in breach of Article 31§§1 and 2, Article E taken in conjunction with Article 31, Article 16 and Article E in conjunction with Article 16, Article 30, Article E taken in conjunction with Article 30 and Article 19§4c of the Revised Charter.
Summary of 51/2008
Decision on the merits 51/2008

Workshop held on decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights against Bulgaria
A workshop organised by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), the Commission for the Protection against Discrimination and the Bulgarian Committee for Helsinki, took place in Sofia on 4 March 2010 and was attended by Mr Petros STANGOS, member of the European Committee of Social Rights and Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter.  The aim of this workshop was the analysis of decisions taken by the Committee  since 2006, in which Bulgaria was found to be in violation of the Revised Charter (notably  concerning Roma and handicapped persons and the rights to housing,  education, and to  social and medical assistance).
Programme

Training session for Russian lawyers in Ufa (Russian Federation)
<11/02/2010> In the framework of a joint programme with the European Union, a seminar for Russian lawyers was held in Ufa (Russian Federation) from 11 to 12 February 2010.  On this occasion Ms Ana RUSU of the Department of the European Social Charter, presented the Revised European Social Charter as a completion of the European Convention of Human Rights.
Programme

Seminar in Athens on the role of the European Committee of Social Rights
 <03/02/2010> A Seminar on “The role of the European Committee of Social Rights” organised by the International Society of Labour Law and Social Security, was held in Athens (Greece).  Mr Petros STANGOS, member of the Committee, gave a presentation of the collective complaints procedure, and Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter, spoke of the influence of the Committee on domestic law in the States Parties to the Charter.
 

Fédération européene des Associations nationales travaillant avec les Sans-abri (FEANTSA) v. Slovenia (Complaint no. 53/2008)
 <1 February 2009> In a decision which became public on 1 February 2010, the European Committee of Social Rights found that reforms of the Slovenian Government in the field of housing have placed tenants in dwellings that were restituted to their former private owners in a precarious situation in breach of Article 31 of the Revised Charter.
 Summary of Complaint 53/2008
Decision on the merits 53/2008

Publication of the Conclusions of the European Committee of Social Rights
<27 January 2010> The European Committee of Social Rights published its Conclusions in respect of 36 States Parties to the Charter. These Conclusions concern the rights related to health, social security and social protection. (more ...)
 

Hearing on the European Social Charter held at the Council of States in Bern (Switzerland)
<14 January 2010> At its session of 11 January 2009, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council of States held a hearing on the European Social Charter. On this occasion, Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter, was invited to present the Revised Charter.
Presentation of Mr Brillat (French only)
 

Recent Signatures and Ratifications

<06 November 2009> Croatia signs the Revised European Social Charter

<16 October 2009> Russia ratifies the Revised European Social Charter

<14 September 2009> Serbia ratifies the European Social Charter (revised)

<10/06/2009> Turkey  ratifies the 1991 Protocol amending the European Social Charter (CETS No. 142)

<27/05/2009> "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" signs the European Social Charter (revised)
 

Table of signatures and ratifications
Accepted provisions