Accepted provisions of the European Social Charter

The European Social Charter is based on what is termed a ratification system, enabling States, under certain circumstances, to choose the provisions they are willing to accept as binding international legal obligations.

Under this system, each Party undertakes:

to consider Part I of the Charter as a declaration of the aims which it will pursue by all appropriate means, as stated in the introductory paragraph of that part;
to consider itself bound by at least six of the following nine articles of Part II of this Charter: Articles 1, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 16, 19 and 20 (in the corresponding provision of the 1961 Charter the Articles referred to were Articles 1, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16 and 19);
to consider itself bound by an additional number of articles or numbered paragraphs of Part II of the Charter which it may select, provided that the total number of articles or numbered paragraphs by which it is bound is not less than sixteen articles or sixty-three numbered paragraphs (in the corresponding provision of the 1961 Charter, the total number of articles or numbered paragraphs was supposed not to be less than 10 articles or 45 numbered paragraphs).

Table of provisions accepted by States Parties to the European Social Charter

With a view to encourage States Parties to progressively accept all the Charter’s provisions, Article 22 of the 1961 Charter provides that the States concerned shall send to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, at appropriate intervals and as requested by the Committee of Ministers, reports relating to the provisions of Part II of the Charter which they did not accept at the time of their ratification or approval or in a subsequent notification. It also provides that the Committee of Ministers shall determine, from time to time, in respect of which provisions such reports shall be requested and the form of the reports to be provided.

More on the procedure on non-accepted provisions

The European Social Charter
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Back 60 years on bringing the European Social Charter into changed times

The University of Roma Tre (Department of Law, Roma Tre International Centre for Research "Diritto e Globalizzazione") together with the University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre, and with the support of the Department of the European Social Charter of the Council of Europe, are organising a one-day conference to mark the 60^th anniversary of the European Social Charter.

The conference will provide an opportunity for academics, representatives of international organisations, civil society to discuss current issues such as labour rights in the era of gig economy and digitisation, migrants’ rights, the right to sustainable environment or how to reinforce the European Social Charter system and its relevance in Europe.

Featuring expert speakers (academics, current and former members of the European Committee of Social Rights, high-level representatives of the Council of Europe), the conference will focus on “bringing the European Social Charter into changed times”.

Programme

More information

Date: 6 October 2021

Location: University of Roma Tre (Aula Magna), Rome, Italy (10:15-17:15 CET)

Organisers: University of Roma Tre (Department of Law, Roma Tre International Centre for Research "Diritto e Globalizzazione") and University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre, with the support of the Council of Europe Department of the European Social Charter

Livestreaming and online participation: MS Teams online event

COVID-19: Physical attendance at the conference will be subject to the presentation of a Covid-19 “Green Pass”. On-site participants are kindly requested to wear a protective mask.