PURPOSE: to invite Member States to ratify the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) of the International Labour Organization.
PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.
BACKGROUND: in 2019, at its 108th session, the International Labour Conference adopted Convention No. 190 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work, 2019, which may be cited as the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019.
The Union promotes the ratification of international labour conventions that have been classified by the ILO as up to date in order to promote decent work for all, health and safety at work and gender equality, as well as to combat discrimination.
The Convention falls within the shared competence of the Union. It is considered appropriate for the Union to exercise its competence regarding those parts of the Convention that specifically concern the improvement of the working environment to protect workers’ health and safety and equality between men and women in matters of employment and occupation, to the extent that the Union has adopted rules thereof.
The Union cannot ratify the Convention, as only States can be parties thereto. However, the Union’s external competence may be exercised through the Member States acting as intermediaries. All EU Member States supported the objectives of the Convention and played a key role for its adoption.
CONTENT: under this draft Council Decision, Member States are hereby invited to ratify, for the parts that specifically concern the improvement of the working environment to protect workers’ health and safety and equality between men and women in matters of employment and occupation, the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019, of the International Labour Organization.