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Chamber of Regions: debate on implementation of the European Social Charter at regional level  [25/10/2016]

While local and regional authorities' prerogatives in the social field have increased in many member States, the European Social Charter is still not widely known among Europe's local and regional elected representatives: during a debate held on 20 October, the Spanish judge Luis Jimena Quesada, former chair of the European Committee of Social Rights, explained how the Charter worked and what benefits it offered to the members of the Chamber of Regions. Far from being a 'catalogue of social rights', the European Social Charter was a means of measuring the progress made by the States signatories in this field and contributed, in the eyes of Mr Jimena Quesada, to forging a more solid European conscience. While the Charter's application was first and foremost a task for the States, the local and regional levels also had a role to play in spontaneously implementing it within the scope of their own powers. Good coordination between local, regional and national authorities was important for optimum application of the Charter, in the interest of all citizens and also of the country itself.  

More information
Video - Statement by Luis Jimena Quesada (in French)  

Chambre des r�gions : d�bat sur la mise en �uvre de la Charte sociale europ�enne au niveau r�gional  [25/10/2016]

Alors que les comp�tences sociales des collectivit�s locales et r�gionales ont augment� dans beaucoup d�Etats membres, la Charte sociale europ�enne reste trop mal connue des �lus territoriaux europ�ens : lors d�un d�bat tenu le 20 octobre, le juge espagnol Luis Jimena Quesada, ancien pr�sident du Comit� Europ�en des Droits Sociaux, en a d�taill� le fonctionnement et les avantages devant les membres de la Chambre des R�gions. Loin de n��tre qu�un � catalogue des droits sociaux �, la Charte sociale europ�enne permet de mesurer les progr�s men�s par les Etats signataires dans ce domaine, et contribue, selon M. Jimena Quesada, � forger une conscience europ�enne plus solide. Si l�application de la Charte incombe d�abord aux Etats, les �chelons local et r�gional sont amen�s eux aussi � la mettre en �uvre spontan�ment dans le cadre de leur autonomie. Une bonne articulation entre les autorit�s locales, r�gionales et nationales est importante pour une application optimale de la Charte, dans l�int�r�t de tous les citoyens, mais aussi dans celui du pays lui-m�me.  

Plus d'information
Vid�o - Allocution de Luis Jimena Quesada