Brussels, 11/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - On “European 112 Day” on 11 February, MEPs Adina-Ioana Valean (ALDE, Romania) and Bernadette Vergnaud (S&D, France), as well as representatives from civil society, including the EENA (European Emergency Number Association) criticised the European Commission “for its lack of initiative in improving the way in which the 112 number works”. They criticised the fact that the Commission had not introduced obligations on mobile telephone network operators to provide emergency services with precise information regarding the location of the caller. They also denounced several examples of the 112 number malfunctioning, with sometimes fatal consequences for those making the calls. Although the European Parliament has urged the 112 number to be improved, the Commission, according to Vergnaud, has not taken any practical measures in this respect. The MEP said that “it is disconcerting that Neelie Kroes has not promoted this service, although it is a clear example of what the EU can do at a practical level for its citizens. I urge the Commission to take urgent action in the interest of its citizens' safety and to demand more from the member states”. The head of EENA's advisory committee, Demetrios Pyrros, asked why millions of euro have been invested by the Commission to make eCall compulsory from October 2015, although it only accounted for 1.7% of the total number of calls to emergency numbers. The Commission believes member states are to blame and Ryan Heath, the spokesman for Neelie Kroes (see EUROPE 11015) said that ensuring caller location is the responsibility of national governments and not the EU. He also said that the Commission did not have the power to establish criteria but that it had given the member states a reminder with its letter to ministers.
According to a Eurobarometer survey published on 11 February and carried out at the end of January this year, 49% of Europeans are still not aware of the 112 number. The most glaring lack of information about it is in Greece (only 10% of Greeks are aware of the number) and in the United Kingdom (18%). With a figure of 80%, citizens in Luxembourg are the best informed in the Community, ahead of Romanians (71%), Poles and Bulgarians (70% each). Kroes stated: “I am concerned that citizens are unaware of this important basic service and that the national governments are not taking enough action to draw their attention to it. The EU has set up the service and now the other parties should also assume their responsibilities”. (IL/transl.fl)