Council of Europe: High-level Conference on the social rights in Turin

A high-level conference on social rights will take place on 17 and 18 October 2014, in Turin, at Teatro Regio. It is organized in the framework of the Italian Presidency of the European Union, and with the co-operation of the Italian Government, the Council of Europe and the City of Turin. The focus will be put on the European Social Charter, an instrument which provides Europe with a true social constitution.

The main aim of the conference is to bring together European policy-makers and reaffirm the importance of social rights, especially  in times of crisis. The main subjects to be discussed will be:

• Synergies between the European Union law and the European Social Charter;
• The contribution made by the Social Charter’s collective complaints procedure to respect for social rights in Europe;
• Austerity measures in times of crisis: impact on social rights, participation by citizens, and the European Social Charter’s contribution to overcoming the crisis.

The European Social Charter is a system of legal rules that helps to ensure the reduction of economic and social tensions, facilitating the achievement of sustainable development and solidarity in the member states. It was signed in Turin on October 18, 1961. The substance of the Charter was supplemented by a revised version of 1996.