EP Launches Campaign To Ensure 112 Emergency Number Is Effective For All Europeans (Andrew Duff MEP)

Andrew Duff MEP <info@andrewduffmep.org.uk>

EP Launches Campaign To Ensure 112 Emergency Number Is Effective For All Europeans

February 7, 2007 11:00 AM

More than 15 years ago, a single European emergency number (112) was set up by the then European Community as a way of reinforcing European people's participation in the Single Market. However, at the present time, more than two thirds of Europeans are not aware of the 112 number. Also the actual placing of calls to 112 is not effective in the large majority of Member States.

Various requests from the European Parliament have fallen on deaf ears in the European Commission.

To push the matter on, several Members of the European Parliament are mobilising to support a new so-called citizens' initiative in launching an electronic petition (www.112petition.eu) asking the European Commission to present, on its 50th anniversary, a much more professional 112 to European people. This is in the context of the priority "Getting closer with the citizens" set both by the Barroso Commission and the German Presidency.

Lib Dem MEP for the East of England, Andrew Duff, said:

"The 112 European emergency number has been around as an instrument for many years yet quite frankly it is disgraceful that it is not working properly. Evidence shows that it is not being properly promoted in all Member States nor has it proper technical interoperability and linguistic support everywhere.

"Ironically the UK has established one of the best systems, but on the downside only 20% of British people know the number so they are totally exposed when they travel in Europe. The Commission really has to get on with this and pursue the recalcitrant Member States to do whatever is necessary to protect our citizens.

Andrew Duff went on to say:

Or his initiative is a great way of getting Europe's citizens together on an issue which can be critical to anyone of them or their families when travelling or working

elsewhere in the EU. Europe's institutions must react to this campaign otherwise we risk bringing the whole initiative system into disrepute. The initiatives system should rather be something which enhances European democracy, as was intended in the draft Constitutional Treaty."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Although the European Commission is aware of the fact that the 112 number has not been properly implemented, it refuses to conduct an objective and independent evaluation of the 112 service chain (something that only Portugal had the courage to conduct in 2003 while preparing for the Euro 2004 Football Championship).