The Collective Complaints procedure was introduced by the Additional Protocol providing for a system of collective complaints, adopted in 1995.

The aim pursued with the introduction of the procedure was to increase the effectiveness, speed and impact of the implementation of the Charter.

In this view, the collective complaints procedure has strengthened the role of the social partners and non-governmental organisations by enabling them to directly apply to the European Committee of Social Rights for rulings on possible non-implementation of the Charter in the countries concerned, namely those States which have accepted its provisions and the complaints procedure.

The decisions adopted by the European Committee of Social Rights in the framework of this monitoring mechanism can be consulted using the European Social Charter Caselaw Database (HUDOC Charter).

More on the collective complaints procedure

List of complaints

  List of INGOs entitled to lodge collective complaints established by the Governmental Committee of the European Social Charter and the European Code of Social Security

 

Findings of the European Committee of Social Rights

 European Committee of Social Rights Findings 2023 on the follow-up to decisions in the collective complaints procedure with respect to Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Portugal.

Findings  2022 | 2021 | 2020 |  2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016

social charter hudoc database
Decisions adopted by the Committee during its last session
28/03/2024 Strasbourg

Decisions adopted by the European Committee of Social rights at its 340th session

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Back Reinforcing social rights protection in Europe: to achieve greater unity and equality

Expert seminar
Reinforcing social rights protection in Europe: to achieve greater unity and equality

The Department of the European Social Charter organised, under the auspices of the French Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, an expert seminar to discuss the protection of social rights in Europe so as to achieve greater unity and equality. The seminar also followed up on the Committee of Ministers declaration at its Helsinki session in May 2019. At that session, the Committee of Ministers invited all the member States concerned to consider signing and ratifying the revised European Social Charter and its Additional Protocol providing for a system of collective complaints, as a starting point for a resolutely proactive and collective drive to combat inequalities and achieve greater social justice.

The European Social Charter and the European Committee of Social rights guarantee key principles such as free movement of persons, non-discrimination, legal and social security, protection against poverty and exclusion, access to decent housing, health, education and training, as well as employment, safety at work and equality at the workplace, including equal pay.

Participants were welcomed by Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Mattéi, Ambassador of France to the Council of Europe, and Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. An introduction on strengthening social rights to ensure social justice, national cohesion and the rule of law was pronounced by José Fernandez-Albertos, Researcher at Institute for Policies and Public Goods, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

The seminar was organised in liaison with the “Institut de recherche Carré de Malberg”, University of Strasbourg.

Strasbourg, France 19/09/2019
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Contact

Department of Social Rights

Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law
Council of Europe
1, quai Jacoutot
F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex

Tél. +33 (0)3 90 21 49 61

www.coe.int/socialcharter

@CoESocialRights

 

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