In a statement released on 10 October 2016, in Belgrade, ENNHRI reiterates its strong commitment and support for the Turin Process and its Action Plan and emphasizes its key objective to improve the implementation of economic and social rights throughout the Council of Europe.

ENNHRI welcomes the Turin Process, which aims at strengthening the treaty system of the European Social Charter within the Council of Europe and in its relationship with the law of the European Union. ENNHRI calls on the European Union and Council of Europe to establish close cooperation, in order to strengthen economic and social rights in Europe through the Turin Process and identify good practices in the implementation of these rights at national and European level.

ENNHRI presented its statement during the third meeting today of the COE-FRA-EQUINET-ENNHRI Collaborative Platform on Economic and Social Rights.

The main points addressed in the statement are:

• ENNHRI encourages the endorsement of the Turin Process by State Parties through the adoption of measures at national level;
• ENNHRI encourages the EU and Council of Europe to establish close cooperation and work towards a cohesive framework for the protection of economic and social rights throughout Europe;
• ENNHRI encourages EU to take into full account the European Social Charter when interpreting EU law and integrate its provisions into the EU’s human rights assessment procedure for policy-making;
• ENNHRI reiterates its commitment to fully engage with the institutions of the Council of Europe and the EU, where appropriate national governments, civil society to pursue these priorities.

ENNHRI and its members have been working on current issues related to economic and social rights, such as austerity and its impact on the enjoyment of these rights, as part of the Platform of Economic and Social Rights operated jointly with the Council of Europe, Equinet and EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency. ENNHRI is also working on issues related to the implementation of the European Social Charter, the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The Turin process was initiated by the Council of Europe in October 2014 to reinforce the normative system of the European Social Charter within the Council of Europe but also with relation to the EU law. The European Social Charter of 1961 and the Revised European Social Charter of 1996 pronounce extensive catalogue of fundamental rights which relate to housing rights, right to health, social protection, provisions on equal work conditions, freedom to organise and protection against poverty and social exclusion.

Photo: © Council of Europe
Buidling of the Council of Europe – Palais de l’Europe