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Newsletter 
of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR)
 
September 2009, No. 1       
Top
European Social Charter
 
Guaranteed Rights 
Housing
Health
 Education
 Employment
 Legal & social  protection
 Movement of persons
 Non-discrimination
ContentsCONTENTS

States Parties

Recent signatures and ratifications in 2009
 
European Social Charter (revised) 
Signatures
 "the former Ex-Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"
Ratifications
 Slovakia
 Hungary
 Serbia
 
28 out of 41 States are bound by the Revised Charter and 13 by the 1961 Charter.
 

Useful Links

Publications

Conclusions
- European Social Charter (1961), Conclusions XIX-1

- European Social Charter (revised) Conclusions 2008

European Social Charter collected texts (6th edition)

Collective Complaints Summaries
- Summaries of Decisions on admissibility (1998-2009) 
- Summaries of Decisions on the merits (1998-2009)

Digest of the Caselaw of the European Committee of Social Rights (September 2008)

Sign Up
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.
 
It adopts conclusions through the framework of the reporting procedure and decisions under the collective complaints procedure. 
ECSREuropean Committee of Social Rights
 
Elections and Composition of the Bureau
The Committee held its first session in 2009 from 16-20 February, with 5 new members, and elected a new bureau with the following composition:
 
President: Ms Polonca KONCAR (Slovenian)
Vice-President: Mr Andrzej SWIATKOWSKI(Polish)
Vice-President: Mr Colm O'CINNEIDE  (Irish)
Rapporteur General: Mr Jean-Michel BELORGEY (French)
 
ComplaintsCollective Complaints: developments in 2009

The following decisions on the merits have been made public to date:

 International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights v. Croatia (INTERIGHTS) (No. 45/2007)
Decision: Violation of Article 11§2 of the 1961 Charter

 European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) v. Bulgaria (No. 48/2008)
Decision: Violation of Article 13§1 of the Revised Charter
 
 European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) v. Bulgaria (No. 46/2007)
Decision: Violation of Articles 11§1, 2 et 3, in conjunction with Article E, and Article 13§1 of the Revised Charter 
_____________________________________  
 
 Sindicato dos Magistrados do Ministério Público (SMMP) v. Portugal (No. 43/2007)
 International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) v. Ireland (No. 42/2007)

 European Council of Police Trade Unions (CESP) v. Portugal (No. 40/2007)
 
In the three forementioned complaints, the Committee concluded that there was no violation of the Revised Charter.
_____________________________________ 
 
The following complaints were declared admissible:
 
 Confédération française de l'encadrement (CFE-CGC) v. France (No. 56/2009)  
 
Confédération générale du travail (CGT) v. France (No. 55/2009)
 
 European Council of Police Trade Unions (CESP) v. France (No. 54/2008)  
 
 Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) v. Croatia (No. 52/2008)
__________________________________
 
The following complaints were registered:

 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 (No. 59/2009)
 
 Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) v. Italy (No. 58/2009) 
 
 European Council of Police Trade Unions (CESP) v. France (No. 57/2009)
  
ReportingReporting System
 
Reports under examination in 2009
 
The national reports examined by the Committee in the course of 2009 cover the following articles: 3 (right to safe and healthy working  conditions), 11 (right to protection of health), 12 (right to social security), 13 (right to social and medical assistance), 14 (right to benefit from social welfare services), 23, or Article 4 of the Additional Protocol (right of elderly persons to social protection), 30 (right to protection against poverty and social exclusion).
 
The deadline for submitting reports was 31 October 2008.
 
The Committee will publish its conclusions by the end of 2009. 
 
NonAcceptedProvMeetings on non-accepted provisions in 2009
 
As of December 2003, under a new procedure for the implementation of Article 22 of the 1961 Charter, States having ratified the Revised European Social Charter, are to report on non-accepted provisions every five years after the date of ratification.
 
To this effect three meetings have been held in 2009:
 
 Baku (Azerbaijan), 22-23 June 2009
 
 Bucharest  (Romania), 6 May 2009  
 
 Brussels (Belgium), 3-4 February 2009
 
OtherActivitiesOther activities 
 
Both Committee members and members of the Secretariat have participated in various meetings or events held in 2009. 
 
International seminar on social rights held in Valencia (Spain) from 27-28 April 2009
 
 Workshop on social rights in Bern (Switzerland), 3 April 2009
 
 Two workshops in the framework of the Joint project with the European Commission
on strengthening and protecting gender equality in Ukraine
   - Kiev, 4-5 March 2009
   - Donetsk, 27-29 April 2009
 
International Conference:  Solidarity of the Society at the time of the Global Financial Crisis, Bratisalva (Slovakia), 20 February 2009 
 
  First Conference of European Ministers responsible for social cohesion, Moscow (Russia) 26-27 February 2009
 
 Study session targeting professionals specialised in legal aide to Roma and travellers to provide information on the collective complaint procedure, Strasbourg (France), 19-20 February 2009
 
Department of the European Social Charter
Council of Europe
Directorate general of Human Rights and Legal Affairs
Directorate of Monitoring   
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
 
Tel. +33 (0) 3 88 41 32 58
Fax. +33 (0) 3 88 41 37 00