Zita Gurmai (S&D). - Mr President, I should like to thank the two rapporteurs for their work and also to say thank you for the good collaboration between the two committees, the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. These reports conclude a long process for the harmonised implementation of an interoperable EU-wide eCall service, which has been on the agenda of the Commission since 2005. It is a priority action for the improvement of road safety and the deployment of an intelligent transport system in Europe.

The comprehensive strategy is built on a threefold regulatory approach encompassing the in-vehicle system, the telecommunications network and the Public Safety Answering Points. eCall will therefore contribute to the new targeting introduced into the Road Safety Action Programme in order to reduce the number of injuries in Europe.

I would like to insist on an approach through this report that will ensure an EU-wide emergency system that is public, simple and affordable for all. For this system to be effective on time and in order to complete the implementation of the equal strategy, it is crucial that Member States upgrade their Public Safety Answering Point infrastructure required for the proper receipt and handling of eCalls. It is a priority for us that PSAP points and eCall system are ready by October 2015. This is something that can make a real difference. It is effectively accessible to all EU citizens throughout the European Union and I therefore call on the Member States to swiftly act on the PSAP infrastructure.

Moreover, the effectiveness of eCall will also largely depend on the familiarity of EU citizens with the service, which is currently far from being the case. It is therefore of crucial importance that the Commission and Member States launch an EU-wide awareness-raising campaign to explain to citizens the functionalities of the new system. With eCall we have the opportunity to save lives and reduce injuries on European roads, so let us work together in order to make it a reality.