The European Social Charter (1961, ETS No. 35), together with the 1996 Revised Charter (ETS No. 163) and its protocols, constitute Europe’s “social constitution”. The 60th anniversary of the Social Charter was marked by high-level events reaffirming its role in protecting human dignity and social rights.
The European Committee of Social Rights provides authoritative guidance to member States, and the Charter complements the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5). The Parliamentary Assembly previously called for stronger implementation, wider ratification and reinforcement of the collective complaints’ mechanism.
Against the backdrop of inequality, poverty, demographic change, migration, and economic and geopolitical instability, the most effective response is to guarantee the Charter’s rights, grounded in equality, justice and solidarity. The Vilnius Declaration adopted at the High-Level Conference on the European Social Charter in July 2024 was a welcome follow-up to the Reykjavik Declaration of May 2023. Both texts reaffirmed commitment to social rights as human rights.
On the occasion of the Charter’s upcoming 65th anniversary in 2026, the Assembly should prepare a report calling upon the Committee of Ministers, Secretary General and all relevant Council of Europe bodies, together with independent institutions, to use this anniversary as a landmark for renewed action. The reports’ recommendations should include the drawing up, without delay, of a programme of activities – parliamentary debates, conferences, public campaigns and co-operation with civil society and trade unions – to raise the visibility of the Charter and promote its implementation. The European Union should be invited, within its competence, to engage actively with this anniversary framework and ensure EU law and policy reflect Charter standards. National parliaments and governments should be encouraged to undertake complementary initiatives, aligning domestic legislation and policies with the Charter.