Facts about EUROMIL

Security has a social dimension

The European Organisation of Military Associations (EUROMIL) is the umbrella organisation of 40 national military associations and trade unions. Originally founded in 1972, the Organisation promotes the social and professional interests of military personnel of all ranks in Europe. Stretching across 27 countries EUROMIL is the premier forum in Europe for the co-operation among professional military associations on issues of common concern. One of our main tasks is therefore to facilitate exchange of information, experiences and best practice among our member associations. The organisation, moreover, strives to secure and advance the human rights, fundamental freedoms and socio-professional interests of soldiers by monitoring and advocating in multinational negotiations on the European level. EUROMIL’s member associations and unions are committed to the principle of the ‘Citizen in Uniform’. As such, a soldier is entitled to the same rights and obligations as any other citizen. Therefore EUROMIL promotes the inclusion of military personnel into EU social and labour legislation.

EUROMIL maintains formal contacts with the EU Institutions, the Council of Europe (CoE), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). Additionally, EUROMIL established partnerships with the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention (PN), the European Security Round Table (ESRT), Dr. Manfred Wörner Circle (DMWC) and more recently the European Movement International (EMI).

EUROMIL is organised as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and is a registered association with jurisdiction at the district court in Bonn, Germany.

Funded exclusively by membership fees, EUROMIL keeps to strict non-denominational and politically independent policies.

Military associations entirely respect and abide by the chain of command, and neither condone or support insubordination and mutiny.

Associations do not intend to comment on strategic or operational matters.

Legal base

UN

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNO 1948), Art 20 and 23
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), Art 8
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), Art 22

OSCE

• Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (1990): (9.3)
• Charter of Paris for a New Europe (1990): freedom of association and peaceful assembly
• Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security (Budapest 1994): Chapter VII, 20, 32, 33

European Union

• European Social Charter (1961/Rev 1996), Part II, Art 5
• Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (2000), Art 12
• Resolution of the EP (1984): calls on the Member States of the EC to grant their servicemen the right in peacetime, to establish, join and actively participate in professional associations in order to protect their social interests.
• EP’s annual report on ‘Observance of human rights in the EC in 1995, 50: right of association within armed forces
• Report on the situation of fundamental rights in the EU 2004 -2007, 88

Council of Europe

• European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950), Art 11
• Resolution 903 (1988) on the right to association for members of the professional staff of the armed forces
• Resolution 1166 and Recommendation 1380 (1998) on human rights of conscripts
• Recommendation 1572 (2002) on the right to association for members of the professional staff of the armed forces
• Recommendation 1714 (2005), 9 on the abolition of restrictions on the right to vote
• Recommendation 1742 (2006) on human rights of members of the armed forces
• Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)4 on human rights of members of the armed forces

ILO

• Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), o.a. C 87 (1948), C 98 (1949), C 151 (1978), Recommendation 159 (1978)