Pick our Brains Session with Saskia von Landenberg on The Domestic Application of the (Revised) European Social Charter in EU Member States

The Maastricht Centre for Human Rights is pleased to host a new Pick Our Brains session on 26 February, featuring Saskia von Landenberg (Maastricht University). The session will take place in a hybrid format and is open to members of the Centre as well as colleagues from other research centres and universities. Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch.

In this session, Saskia von Landenberg will present her ongoing research on The Domestic Application of the (Revised) European Social Charter in EU Member States. Saskia is a lecturer and PhD researcher in the Department of Public Law at Maastricht University. Her research focuses on the protection of socio-economic human rights in Europe, with particular attention to the interaction between different legal systems. Her PhD project, provisionally titled “Strengthening Social Europe: The Potential of the (Revised) European Social Charter in Furthering Social Rights in EU Law”, examines how the Charter can contribute more effectively to the advancement of social rights within the EU legal order.

Abstract:

The (Revised) European Social Charter has been referred to as the “Social Constitution of Europe” due to the extensive socio-economic rights protection that it provides. However, the Charter faces significant obstacles in its domestic application. Furthermore, violations identified by the European Committee of Social Rights often go unaddressed for extended periods, leading to an “implementation gap”. While the domestic application of the Charter is fragmented, many of the obstacles it faces are not country-specific. Rather, they are of a more general nature that applies to a group of States, or even all, simultaneously. These obstacles can be roughly sketched as falling within two groups. The first group relates to the Charter’s nature as an international human rights treaty. The second group relates to the functioning of the Charter system as such. Although efforts to enhance the Charter’s application have increased in recent years, further commitment is required of State Parties in their capacity as both national and supranational actors.

About the Pick Our Brains Series

The Pick Our Brains sessions of the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights are intended as a forum for intellectual exchange and scholarly discussion. They provide an opportunity to receive feedback on ongoing or forthcoming research, to present recent work or conference contributions, and to explore possibilities for collaboration within and beyond the Centre. Each session combines a short presentation with an open and lively discussion.