Signor Ministro, Signor Sindaco, Eccellenze, Cari colleghi,
Sono onorata che mi sia stato chiesto di aprire la discussione di oggi a nome dell'Assemblea parlamentare del Consiglio d'Europa, che parla per gli ottocentoventi milioni di persone di quarantasette Stati attraverso i loro rappresentanti democraticamente eletti.
Vorrei ringraziare gli organizzatori di questa conferenza, in particolare il nostro ex collega il Sindaco di Torino, Piero Fassino. Il Sindaco è stato membro dell'Assemblea parlamentare per 9 anni ed è sempre un grande piacere quando gli ex membri della nostra Assemblea continuano a promuovere i valori del Consiglio d'Europa anche nelle loro funzioni successive.
Sulla prima pagina del programma di questa Conferenza vi sono le parole di Altiero Spinelli, un convinto europeista della prima ora:
"La via da percorrere non è facile né sicura, ma deve essere percorsa e lo sarà".
"The road ahead is neither easy nor safe, but must be pursued and it will be."
We are here today to continue on this road, to bring social rights forward in Europe.
In my intervention, I will highlight how the Parliamentary Assembly has sought to contribute to the journey on this road, but also address further steps needed to ensure better implementation of the rights enshrined in the European Social Charter.
53 years ago, the European Social Charter was adopted here, in Turin. This landmark Convention has brought about many improvements in the lives of millions of Europeans.
Allow me to start by stating what should be obvious, but is unfortunately not yet granted: social rights must be considered as fundamental human rights, indivisible, interdependent and complementary. They are not "second class" rights.
Altogether they enable people to lead meaningful lives in dignity.
This is all the more important in a period of economic downturn and crisis, where they risk being undermined by the pressure of austerity measures.
Through its work, the Assembly has been looking at certain problematic issues such as the dismantling of labour rights, working conditions and social benefits.
The Parliamentary Assembly has expressed its view that austerity measures can never be taken at the costs of the most vulnerable groups: young families, single mothers, children, young people, the elderly, people with disabilities, migrants and minorities.
We have to protect the most vulnerable members of our societies.
The rise of extremism and neo-Nazism and the entry of extremist populist parties into several parliaments in Europe should raise alarm bells across Europe as they take the most vulnerable as scapegoats.
This is one of the reasons why it is of outmost importance that social rights are guaranteed and implemented. Implementation is the object of today's discussions.
The Parliamentary Assembly has paid much attention to the European Social Charter, its different texts and mechanisms in recent years. Through its Resolutions it has made recommendations to member States on:
- unbalanced austerity measures as a danger for democracy and social rights ;
- decent work ;
- decent pensions ;
- youth employment, and ;
- child poverty ;
It has also taken an in-depth look into the social rights mechanisms of the Council of Europe.
Currently, reports are being prepared on "equality and the crisis"; the European Social Model; the right to bargain collectively, including the right to strike ; and the need for a citizenship income.
This work reflects three priority areas set by the Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs, namely, the protection and promotion of social rights in accordance with the European Social Charter, the promotion of social cohesion in all Council of Europe member States and the protection of groups in need of special protection.
But where do we go from here?
There is no doubt that further steps are needed to ensure consistency of national measures in the field of social rights.
Let us start by ensuring the ratification of the relevant texts by all member States, hence creating a harmonised European landscape.
The Parliamentary Assembly consistently calls all member States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify:
- the revised Social Charter;
- the Additional Protocol Providing for a System of Collective Complaints;
- the so-called Turin Protocol, (the Amending Protocol to allow for the election of the 15 members of the European Committee of Social Rights by the Parliamentary Assembly).
Although my own country – Luxembourg – is not one of the best pupils in this respect, let me stress that it is no longer acceptable to make excuses when it comes to the ratification of these instruments. All Council of Europe member States should be bound by the Revised European Social Charter and its Protocols, alongside the European Convention on Human Rights.
However for the enjoyment of social rights to be a reality, the rights which flow from the Social Charter and its Protocols must be respected and promoted by all actors, be they Parliaments, Governments, employers, trade unions, or others.
To ensure the implementation of the European Social Charter, the Parliamentary Assembly encourages national parliaments to use both the Charter and the Case Law of the European Committee of Social Rights when drafting national and regional legislation.
I would also like to highlight the importance of States' acceptance of the collective complaints procedure, so as to reinforce social democracy and compliance with the Charter at national level. Bravo to the States that have ratified this procedure, which brings to life the Charter for civil society and people in the street. So far, unfortunately, only 15 countries have accepted this procedure. We can do better.
Finally, to be fully effective the implementation of social rights requires a differentiated approach. For each social category, specific problems exist and specific solutions have to be found. Differentiated policies are needed so as not to leave anyone behind, especially in these times of budgetary restrictions where social benefits are threatened.
The member States of the Council of Europe must protect social rights by not only protecting the rights of their own populations, in particular the most vulnerable groups, but also by seeking to improve the ‘rules of the game' at the international level.
Ladies and Gentlemen, at the start of my presentation I quoted what Mr Spinelli said about our road being neither easy nor safe.
I would like to end by quoting from a poem by Robert Frost:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that made all the difference."
When we go back from Turin, where it all started 53 years ago, we will have 2 roads.
The one we are used to - business as usual.
I hope however many of us will take the one less traveled - which could make all the difference.
Thank you.