European 112 Day

Logo of the European emergency number

The then President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz , promotes the pan-European emergency number 112 (March 6, 2013)

The European Parliament , the Council of the European Union and the European Commission have in 2009 and due together the included date emergency number (11.2.) To 11 February for the annual European Day of the emergency call 112 declared to the European validity of the euro emergency call 112 to make the advantages of the pan-European emergency number better known. The impetus for the introduction of a Euro Call Day came from the European Parliament and was discussed there in the context of the preparation of the European Parliament's declaration on the European emergency number of September 25, 2007.

The need to make the Europe-wide emergency number better known was confirmed by the Flash Eurobarometer 228 from February 2008: On average, 22% of the population knew that 112 was valid across the EU. In Germany this was only 12%. The low level of awareness of the Europe-wide validity of 112 was confirmed in 2009 (EU average 24%, Germany 16%) and 2010 (EU average 25%, Germany 18%) with a slight absolute increase. The level of awareness as an EU-wide emergency number increased to an EU average of 27% by February 2013 and was 17% in Germany. This puts Germany fourth from last in 2013, ahead of Great Britain (13%), Greece (7%) and Italy (5%). Awareness as an EU-wide emergency number is highest in Poland (57%), Slovakia (55%) and Finland (54%). In Austria it is more than twice as high (37%) as in Germany.

The increasing popularity of 112 as a common emergency number has made it a common symbol for help in emergencies and at the same time a symbol for the European Union.

background

The pan-European emergency number 112 was introduced in 1991 to - in addition to the national emergency numbers - make a uniform emergency number available in all EU member states and to make emergency services more easily accessible, especially for travelers. Since 1998 Member States have had to ensure, in accordance with relevant EU rules, that all fixed and mobile phone users can call 112 toll-free. Since 2003, telecommunications operators have had to provide emergency services with information about the location of the caller in order to enable accident victims to be found quickly. Incidentally, it is also the task of the Member States to make the number 112 better known among citizens.

In order to ensure the actual introduction of the emergency number 112, the EU has already initiated 17 infringement proceedings against fifteen countries because either the number 112 was not available or information about the caller's location was not provided or the calls were not handled appropriately. However, most of the proceedings were terminated after corrective action was taken.

During the emergency call 112 often complement national emergency numbers, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and most recently Romania have decided to make 112 their main national emergency number. In other countries, 112 is the only number for a specific emergency service (e.g. in Estonia and Luxembourg for ambulances and fire services ).

Since December 2008, the emergency services have been available free of charge from all landline and mobile networks throughout the European Union on the single emergency number 112.