Secretary General Jagland and Deputy Secretary General Battaini-Dragoni today met Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission Vice President for the Euro and Social Dialogue.
The discussion focused on the relationship between the European Union and the Council of Europe in the area of social rights, and in particular the scope for harmonising the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Council of Europe’s European Social Charter. The European Commission and the Council of Europe will be addressing this issue at an international conference on the Future of the Protection of Social Rights in Europe, hosted by the Belgian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in Brussels on 12-13 February.
Dombrovskis and Jagland also discussed the crisis in Ukraine and the Council of Europe’s role in advising Ukraine on judicial and constitutional reforms including the issues of decentralisation and minority rights.
Vice President Dombrovskis’ visit to the Council of Europe coincides with the Latvian Presidency of the EU and the 20th anniversary of Latvia’s membership of the Council of Europe.