European Social Charter
Encyclopedia
The European Social Charter is a Council of Europe
treaty
which was adopted in 1961 and revised in 1996. The Revised Charter came into force in 1999 and is gradually replacing the initial 1961 treaty. The Charter sets out human rights
and freedoms and establishes a supervisory mechanism guaranteeing their respect by the States parties.
The Charter guarantees rights and freedoms which concern all individuals in their daily existence.
The basic rights set out in the Charter are as follows: housing, health, education, employment, social and legal protection, free movement of persons and non-discrimination.
States Parties to the Charter must submit annual reports on a part of the provisions of the Charter (be it the 1961 Charter or the 1996 Revised Charter), showing how they implement them in law and in practice. The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) is the body responsible for monitoring compliance in the States party to the Charter.
The ECSR is composed of 15 independent, impartial members who are elected by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers for a period of six years, renewable once.
Under the 1995 Additional Protocol providing for a system of Collective Complaints which came into force in 1998, complaints of violations of the Charter may be lodged with the ECSR.
Certain organisations are entitled to lodge complaints with the ECSR (a special list of NGOs has been established, made up of NGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe). The ECSR examines the complaint and, if the formal requirements have been met, declares it admissible.
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
which was adopted in 1961 and revised in 1996. The Revised Charter came into force in 1999 and is gradually replacing the initial 1961 treaty. The Charter sets out human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and freedoms and establishes a supervisory mechanism guaranteeing their respect by the States parties.
The Charter guarantees rights and freedoms which concern all individuals in their daily existence.
The basic rights set out in the Charter are as follows: housing, health, education, employment, social and legal protection, free movement of persons and non-discrimination.
States Parties to the Charter must submit annual reports on a part of the provisions of the Charter (be it the 1961 Charter or the 1996 Revised Charter), showing how they implement them in law and in practice. The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) is the body responsible for monitoring compliance in the States party to the Charter.
The ECSR is composed of 15 independent, impartial members who are elected by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers for a period of six years, renewable once.
Under the 1995 Additional Protocol providing for a system of Collective Complaints which came into force in 1998, complaints of violations of the Charter may be lodged with the ECSR.
Certain organisations are entitled to lodge complaints with the ECSR (a special list of NGOs has been established, made up of NGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe). The ECSR examines the complaint and, if the formal requirements have been met, declares it admissible.
See also
- European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or PunishmentEuropean Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or PunishmentThe European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was adopted by the member states of the Council of Europe, meeting at Strasbourg on 26 November 1987. It was subsequently amended by two Protocols that entered into force on 1 March 2002...
- European decency thresholdEuropean decency thresholdThe Social Charter initially defined what many UK campaigning groups termed the Council of Europe decency threshold in the 1960s as 68% of average earnings within a national economy...