Socio-economic inequalities in Europe: time to restore social trust by strengthening social rights
Recommendation 2210
(2021)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 28 September 2021 (25th and 26th sittings)
(see Doc. 15365, report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and
Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Ms Selin Sayek Böke). Text adopted by the Assembly on 28 September
2021 (25th and 26th sittings).
1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers
to its
Resolution 2393
(2021) “Socio-economic inequalities in Europe: time to
restore social trust by strengthening social rights” and underscores
the role of States in upholding the implementation of benchmarks
for social rights enshrined in the European Social Charter (ETS Nos.
35 and 163, hereafter “the Charter”) by all social partners. It
deplores the gap between the rights protected by the Charter and
the socio-economic policies pursued at national level, which is
reflected in the annual conclusions and statements of the European
Committee of Social Rights.
2. The Assembly supports the view of the European Committee of
Social Rights that the effective implementation of the Charter requires
both legal action and practical measures by States parties so as
to allocate adequate resources to underpin the rights recognised
in the Charter and to seek “to achieve the objectives of the Charter
within a reasonable time, with measurable progress and to an extent
consistent with the maximum use of available resources”. The Assembly
asks the Committee of Ministers to remind all member States of these
obligations, be they party or not to the Charter, with a view to
supporting human development and more effectively narrowing socio-economic
inequalities.
3. The Assembly supports the proposals put forward by the Secretary
General of the Council of Europe to reform the implementation of
the Charter by elevating the political support and commitment of
member States to developing a level playing field for social rights
across Europe and improving the capacity of the Charter’s organs
to respond effectively to the member States’ need for feedback and
guidance. The Assembly also supports the proposal for the continued
promotion of the ratification of the revised European Social Charter
by all member States, and reiterates its own recommendations contained
in paragraph 3 of
Recommendation 2205
(2021) “Overcoming the socioeconomic crisis sparked
by the Covid19 pandemic”. It moreover recommends that the Committee
of Ministers ask the European Committee of Social Rights to study
the feasibility of adding new clauses to the Charter on the social
protection of workers in non-standard forms of work.
4. In this context, the Assembly recalls the decisions of the
131st Session of the Committee of Ministers on 21 May 2021, notably
as regards co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European
Union, whereby the European Union was encouraged to participate
in and accede to the Council of Europe instruments “as a way of
achieving coherence and complementarity and promoting synergies”.
The latter is particularly important for the more effective implementation
of social rights in Europe and for stronger action to narrow socio-economic
inequalities. The Assembly therefore asks the Committee of Ministers
to pursue efforts to promote the European Union’s accession to the
revised European Social Charter and thus seek greater complementarity
between the Charter system and the European Pillar of Social Rights.
It also asks the Committee of Ministers to support the wider application
of the European Child Guarantee initiative of the European Union,
namely across non-EU member States, including through joint co-operation
projects.
