112 a mystery? Reading this could save your life

11 February is the European "112 day". But what is 112? If you are unaware of what the phone number "112" means then reading this article could literally save your life. It is the free pan-European emergency number that can be dialled from anywhere inside the 27 countries of the EU. So, if you are abroad and you need the police, ambulance or fire brigade then you should dial this number. The number does not replace national emergency numbers, but acts in parallel with them.

112 has been the official European emergency number since February 2009. Part of the telecoms legislation passed last year by the Parliament made the number more accessible.

According to European Commission survey in 2009, around a quarter of people were aware that the number exists and also language continued to be a barrier. Every year campaigns are organized throughout the Europe to raise awareness. On 11 February the European Commission will present the results of the latest studies on the European emergency number 112. 

Enforce the accessibility

The Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Committee (IMCO) is about to prepare an initiative report on the Universal service and 112 emergency number and yesterday (10 February) held its first exchange of views on the subject. The report will be drafted by Greek Socialist Sylvana Rapti and will assess the current state of play and challenges, namely the financing, call handling (response time, calls in foreign languages, caller location, etc) and quality of access for vulnerable people and disabled consumers.