Brussels, 03/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - The summer holidays are beckoning and European citizens will increasingly travel to other member states where, unfortunately, the number of accidents will increase too. Although the European emergency number 112 is beginning to become more widely known, travellers do not always immediately use it when abroad. On 3 June, the European Commission decided to step up its efforts to promote the use of the charge-free European emergency number 112 in the EU. To this end it has set up the new website, available from 3 June, which will tell citizens how to use 112 and what to expect from it, particularly when they travel within the EU. It also shows how 112 functions in each Member State: how quickly calls are answered and in which languages. On the day of its launch the site was only available in English, but the site aims to become multilingual in order to inform as many citizens as possible.
EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding affirmed that “the millions of EU citizens going on holiday this summer only need to remember one emergency number: 112”. The commissioner deplored the fact that only 22% of EU citizens know they can call 112 throughout Europe in an emergency. She also regretted the lack of media attention to inform citizens on the subject in member states. According to the latest figures from Eurobarometer, 71% of respondents declared that they had not received any information on this subject in 2007. The commissioner explained that the number will not replace national emergency numbers, which will remain operational alongside 112, except in Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, which have decided that it is easier to replace their national number by the European number. Ms Reding explained that the 112 number had existed since 1991 and only became compulsory in 2003. Infringement procedures are planned for member states that do not respect Community legislation on the matter. In total, the Commission has begun 16 proceedings against 15 countries in which the 112 number or localisation service does not work when it is called. Nine of these procedures were closed after corrective measures were taken. So far, only Bulgaria is not guaranteeing accessibility to 112 in the whole country (it is only available in the Sofia region). An infringement procedure on this subject is pending on this subject but the Commission hopes to close it if it receives guarantees promised by the Bulgarian authorities on the matter. Other shortcomings have been detected in member states: lack of caller location for mobile 112 calls: 6 countries (Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) are currently subject to EU infringement proceedings; absence of information on response times to 112 calls once connected: Belgium, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia; countries failing to provide information about the ability of national 112 emergency centres to answer calls in at least one EU language that is not their national or official language: Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia.
On the basis of information provided by member states the new website ec.europa.eu/112 compares results on application of the rules on 112 and clarifies best practices. For example, fast call handling: member states reported on response times to 112 calls once connected. At least 97% of 112 calls are answered within 20 seconds in the Czech Republic, Spain and the United Kingdom, and at least 71% within 10 seconds in the Netherlands and Finland. 17 countries reported on their ability to answer 112 calls in foreign EU languages: 112 emergency call centres can normally handle English calls in 16 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden). 7 countries said their call centres can answer in the language of a bordering member state (Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Lithuania, Hungary, and Slovenia). Several countries have special arrangements allowing call centres to answer in other foreign languages such as forwarding them to other call centres with competent staff on duty (the Czech Republic, Greece, Slovenia and Spain) or to interpretation services (Finland, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK). Raising awareness: 4 countries broadcast TV programmes promoting 112 (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Sweden). Finland and Romania now annually celebrate 112 day on 11 February). Other useful tools include motorway signs (Austria and Hungary), leaflets at toll points (Spain) and SMS to roaming mobile users (Hungary). (I.L.)