On 24 November 1969, at Strasbourg, the member States of the Council of Europe signatory hereto concluded the European Agreement on “au pair” Placement. English and French, equally authentic. A single copy remains deposited in the archives of the Council of Europe; the Secretary General shall transmit certified copies. Article 15: the Agreement enters into force one month after three member States have become Parties. Entry into force: 30 May 1971. Article 20: it remains in force indefinitely; denunciation takes effect six months after notification. It is not the European Social Charter and not the European Convention on Human Rights.

The preamble: in Europe more and more young persons, especially girls, are going abroad to be placed “au pair”. Persons placed “au pair” belong neither to the student category nor to the worker category but to a special category which has features of both. Adequate social protection inspired by the principles of the European Social Charter. Many of these persons are minors deprived for a long period of the support of their families and should receive special protection relating to the material or moral conditions found in the receiving country. Only the public authorities can fully ensure and supervise implementation. Article 1: each Contracting Party undertakes to promote in its territory to the greatest extent possible the implementation of the Agreement.

Article 2: “au pair” placement is the temporary reception by families, in exchange for certain services, of young foreigners who come to improve their linguistic and possibly professional knowledge as well as their general culture. Article 3: initially not exceeding one year, extendable to a maximum stay of two years. Article 4: not less than 17 or more than 30 years of age; exceptions to the upper limit may be granted by the competent authority of the receiving country in individual cases. Article 5: a medical certificate established less than three months before placement. Article 6: rights and obligations shall be the subject of an agreement in writing, in the form of a single document or of an exchange of letters, preferably before the person leaves the country of residence and at latest during the first week of the placement; a copy shall be lodged with the competent authority in the receiving country.

Article 8: board and lodging and, where possible, a separate room; adequate time to attend language courses; at least one full free day per week, not less than one such free day in every month being a Sunday; full opportunity to take part in religious worship; pocket money, the amount and intervals of which are determined by the agreement. Article 9: participation in day-to-day family duties; the time effectively occupied shall generally not be more than five hours per day. Article 10: benefits in the event of sickness, maternity or accident, listed in Annex I; if those benefits cannot be covered by official schemes, the competent member of the receiving family shall take out a private insurance at his own expense. Article 11: two weeks’ notice where the agreement is for an unspecified period; immediate termination in the event of serious misconduct. Article 22: the Protocol attached forms an integral part of the Agreement.

Done at Strasbourg, this 24th day of November 1969.

Strasbourg Cathedral. The city of signing, not the confirmed hall. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

For context: European Agreement on Au Pair Placement. The text: ETS No. 068, European Agreement on au pair Placement.