The 65th anniversary of the European Social Charter: social rights as the foundation of resilient democracies and social justice
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 29 January 2026 (8th sitting) (see Doc. 16335, report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and
Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Mr Paul Galles). Text adopted by the Assembly on
29 January 2026 (8th sitting).See also Recommendation 2304 (2026).
1. The Parliamentary Assembly is convinced
that the aim of social progress set out in the Statute of the Council
of Europe (ETS No. 1) is one of the main guiding principles of the
Organisation and highlights that the European Social Charter (ETS
No. 35, “the Charter”) was drawn up sixty-five years ago as a cornerstone instrument
and the counterpart, in the sphere of economic and social rights,
to the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5).
2. The Assembly underlines the paramount importance of the European
Social Charter (revised) (ETS No. 163, “the revised Charter”), which,
for thirty years, has formed the most comprehensive legal framework
for the protection of economic and social human rights in Europe.
It commends the European Committee of Social Rights for its outstanding
contribution to this protection system.
3. The Assembly has been an unwavering supporter of the Charter.
It plays a key role in the application by Council of Europe member
States of the rights guaranteed by the Charter, in the development
of these rights and in the contribution that social cohesion can
make to democratic security. The Assembly welcomes the fact that
in 2025, following its
Resolution 2627 (2025) “Promoting
universal health coverage”, the Council of Europe joined the Universal
Health Coverage platform (UHC2030), thus providing an opportunity
to promote access to healthcare for all, as guaranteed by the Charter.
4. The Assembly is concerned that the rights guaranteed by the
Charter are today under unprecedented pressure, with major financial,
administrative and social implications for governments, institutions
and citizens, and welcomes the renewed commitment of member States
in favour of these rights and of social justice, as asserted in
the Reykjavik Declaration of 2023 and the High-Level Conference
on the European Social Charter held in Vilnius in 2024.
5. This social rights-centred approach is in line with the European
Pillar of Social Rights of the European Union and the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals and echoes the Doha Declaration, adopted
at the 2nd World Summit for Social Development in 2025. Such an
emphasis is all the more necessary in the light of the International
Labour Organization’s 2026 report on employment and social trends,
which highlights the persistent structural weaknesses of labour
markets and the urgent need to strengthen social rights and protections.
6. Decent living conditions and social justice and cohesion are
recognised as essential at European and international levels for
democracy to be stable, and anything which undermines them is acknowledged
to pose a direct threat to democratic security. For Council of Europe
member States, this means that the Charter is one of the keys to
their democratic stability.
7. In the Assembly’s view, acknowledging this is crucial. It
therefore welcomes the fact that the Secretary General of the Council
of Europe has emphasised the centrality of social rights and social
justice to democracy, placing this dimension among the key elements
of democratic stability in his road map towards a New Democratic
Pact for Europe.
8. With this goal in mind, the Assembly values the Additional
Protocol to the European Social Charter Providing for a System of
Collective Complaints (ETS No. 158, “Collective Complaints Protocol”)
and regrets the fact that only 16 of the States Parties to the Charter
and the revised Charter have ratified this protocol. The collective
complaints procedure is the main institutional channel through which
civil society – non-governmental organisations and social partners
– can take part in the Charter system. It is relevant to all generations
in that it provides a channel for the social concerns of the entire
population, from the youngest to the eldest, to be directly raised
by those affected. In this connection, the Assembly regards ratification
of the Collective Complaints Protocol both as a sign of democratic
maturity and a concrete measure to foster democratic participation,
expressing confidence in the principles which should guide society
for all generations in the years to come.
9. The Assembly welcomes the decision of the authorities of the
Republic of Moldova to host the next High-Level Conference on the
Charter in Chișinău on 18 and 19 March 2026. It urges the member
States that will meet in Chișinău to agree on measures recognising
that investing in social rights is both a moral choice and a key
strategic step in protecting democratic stability by reducing inequalities,
strengthening social cohesion and social justice and restoring trust
in institutions.
10. The Assembly urges member States to demonstrate to their populations
their commitment to fight against the social and economic inequalities
in European societies by reaffirming their support for a united
and resolute implementation of the Charter. It encourages the 10
member States which have not yet ratified the revised Charter –
Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Monaco, Poland, San Marino, Switzerland and the United Kingdom –
to take advantage of the momentum provided by the Chișinău conference
to add their ratifications.
11. The Assembly also calls again on the four countries which
have not yet done so, namely Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg and the
United Kingdom, to ratify the Protocol amending the European Social
Charter (ETS No. 142, “Turin Protocol”), which provides for the
members of the European Committee of Social Rights to be elected
by the Assembly, as already requested in Assembly
Resolutions 1824 (2011) “The
role of parliaments in the consolidation and development of social
rights in Europe” and 2180 (2017) “The ‘Turin process’: reinforcing
social rights in Europe”.
12. The Assembly is convinced that, for the Charter to have a
real impact within member States, parliamentarians must be among
its strong supporters and in a position to use its provisions in
their work. National parliaments are, however, often overlooked
in this respect. It is crucial to think more about the potential
they represent.
13. Members of national parliaments are central to the life of
the Charter because they line up legislation and national budgets
relating to Charter obligations, hold the executive to account in
relation to the findings of the European Committee of Social Rights,
instigate reforms in areas where shortfalls in the implementation
of social rights persist and promote the process of ratifying the
Charter. Owing to their dual role as members of the Assembly and
their national parliaments, Assembly members have a particular duty
to contribute to these efforts.
14. In the light of the above, the Assembly calls on the parliaments
of the member States to draw up a programme of activities in the
wake of the Chișinău conference to give practical expression to
this new drive and, in particular, to:
14.1 strengthen the capacities and knowledge of parliamentarians
and parliamentary research services with regard to the Charter;
14.2 systematically integrate the Charter into studies on the
impact of draft legislation;
14.3 hold parliamentary hearings on progress on the implementation
of decisions taken by the European Committee of Social Rights, to
which civil society and social partners should be invited;
14.4 hold a debate on the ratification of the revised Charter,
the Turin Protocol and the Collective Complaints Protocol;
14.5 review, one by one, the provisions of the Charter that
they have not accepted, with a view to their adoption;
14.6 review, one by one, the reservations adopted on ratification
of the Charter and its protocols, with a view to lifting them;
14.7 establish specific co-operation on social rights with
the national institutions tasked with protecting human rights.
15. Lastly, the Assembly points out that, in order to guarantee
that the European system for the protection of social rights is
clear, consistent and legally certain, particular emphasis must
be placed on the interpretation of the Charter by the European Committee
of Social Rights. In this connection, the Assembly considers that national
authorities, including parliaments and courts, are duty bound to
take full account of the findings, conclusions, decisions and statements
of interpretation of the European Committee of Social Rights when applying
the Charter, in order to take the required legal, social and economic
measures at the national level.
