Abstract
With a view to upholding fundamental (social) rights in Europe in times of economic crisis, attention is to be paid to the assessment of regressive implementation of social rights during the recent period, under the applicable international instruments for the protection of human rights. The present contribution focuses on the divergent decisions by the European Committee of Social Rights and the European Court of Human Rights on 'austerity measures', bearing in mind the 'complementarity' between the two underlying treaties ¿ the European Social Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights. While the different grounds of violation available in the two treaties may explain divergent outcomes, arguably the most relevant factor concerns the interpretative method(s) followed by each body, especially the varying degree of deference accorded to the national authorities in the sphere of economic and social policy.--------------------------------------------------------------------- ...
With a view to upholding fundamental (social) rights in Europe in times of economic crisis, attention is to be paid to the assessment of regressive implementation of social rights during the recent period, under the applicable international instruments for the protection of human rights. The present contribution focuses on the divergent decisions by the European Committee of Social Rights and the European Court of Human Rights on 'austerity measures', bearing in mind the 'complementarity' between the two underlying treaties ¿ the European Social Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights. While the different grounds of violation available in the two treaties may explain divergent outcomes, arguably the most relevant factor concerns the interpretative method(s) followed by each body, especially the varying degree of deference accorded to the national authorities in the sphere of economic and social policy.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Dans la perspective de maintenir et respecter les droits (sociaux) fondamentaux en temps de crise économique, il y a lieu de considérer l'évaluation des restrictions récemment apportées à la jouissance de ces droits, par rapport aux instruments internationaux de protection des droits de l'homme. La présente contribution analyse les décisions divergentes du Comité européen des droits sociaux et de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme envers ces mesures 'd'austérité', tout en rappelant la 'complementarité' qui avait été envisagée entre la Charte sociale européenne et la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme. Si des conclusions divergentes peuvent s'expliquer en raison des différents motifs de la violation dans les deux traités, la question qui relève le plus a probablement trait aux méthodes interprétatives adoptées par le Comité et la Cour, surtout en ce qui concerne le différent degré de déférence accordé aux autorités nationales dans la sphère des politiques économique et sociale.
