This article tries to illustrate the influence of the European Social Charter (1961) on the evolution of Belgian Social Law. The finding is that most of the pillars of the Belgian Social Model were already established before the late ratification of the Charter by Belgium, in 1990. Afterwards the case law of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) pointed out some necessary adaptations. Some others have been decided by the ECSR as a response to some collective complaints directed against Belgium. This country considered the ratification of the Protocol introducing this procedure as a meaningful progress for all the Contracting Parties. It gives the civil society a direct access in the development of the Charter, but only 15 State Parties did ratify it. The article comments also on how Belgium is confronted, like other Parties, with the competing mutual influence of the Charter and the Community Law of the EU. The revised Charter (1996) was a major contribution in favour of more coherence between both legal orders. Belgium argued strongly for more explicit convergences. It seems desirable that both the EU Court and the ECSR try to deliver more visibility about the common rights and their complementarity. ; Dans cet article, l’auteur tente d’identifier les principaux facteurs d’influence sur le système social belge issus de la prise en compte des droits sociaux garantis par la Charte sociale européenne. Cette influence n’a été en réalité que marginale, car les piliers du système ont été élaborés, en l’absence de dispositions constitutionnelles sur les droits sociaux avant 1994, avant l’application de la Charte, dont la ratification fut tardive. Le pays a cependant soutenu les protocoles de même que la version révisée de la Charte. Les principaux facteurs repris sélectivement sont la jurisprudence dans le cadre d’un système moniste, qui reconnaît la primauté du droit international et du droit communautaire sur le droit interne, certaines conclusions du Comité européen des droits sociaux à l’appui des ...