No C 269/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 21. 10. 89 
Proposal for a Council Decision on the introduction of a standard Europe-wide emergency call 
number 
COM(89) 452 final — SYN 223 
(Submitted by the Commission on 6 October 1989) 
(89/C 269/07) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 100a 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas the telephone is the most important means for 
the notification of emergencies of all kinds and for 
calling emergency services responsible for public safety; 
Whereas at present for this purpose different telephone 
numbers are utilized in the Member States, 
Whereas the effect of such differences in to create 
problems in contacting the responsible services for 
citizens, in particular tourists and business travellers, 
facing emergency situations in other Member States, 
Whereas the substantial increase in both private and 
business travel within the Community has created a 
demand for the introduction of a standard Europe-wide 
emergency call number; 
Whereas the introduction of a standard Europe-wide 
emergency call number would therefore promote the 
establishment and functioning of the internal market; 
Whereas the introduction of new technologies into the 
public telephone networks and the coordinated intro­
duction of advanced telecommunications infrastructures 
present a unique opportunity for the implementation of a 
standard Europe-wide emergency call number, in parallel 
to the existing national emergency call numbers as 
appropriate; 
Whereas the Commission has called the attention of the 
Council to this problem ('); 
Whereas the Council at its meeting of 30 June 1988 has 
recognised that the objective of standard Europe-wide 
emergency call number is important for Europe's 
citizens; 
(') Commission communication concerning coordination and 
preparatory work in the telecommunications field towards 
the introduction of a standard Europe-wide emergency call 
number by 1992 (COM(88) 312). Whereas the Council in its resolution of 13 February 
1989 on the new developments in Community 
cooperation on civil protection (2) has stressed the desira­
bility of a standard Community-wide single additional 
emergency telephone number which will in particular 
enable the public in an emergency to call the relevant 
national emergency services; 
Whereas the European Parliament has emphasized 
repeatedly the importance of the introduction of such a 
number, in particular in its resolutions of 14 December 
1988 on telecommunications (3) (4); 
Whereas the European Conference of Post and Tele­
communications (CEPT) has recommended in its recom­
mendation T/SF1 of 1976 the use of the number 112 
as the standard Europe-wide emergency services call 
number; 
Whereas this recommendation has only been followed by 
very few Member States; 
Whereas the number 112 remains the most suitable 
number for most Telecommunications Administrations; 
Whereas for all Member States it will be possible to 
devise a plan to make the number 112 available; 
Whereas most Member States could introduce the 
number 112 by 1992; whereas however, for a limited 
number of Member States this would pose a burden 
since they would need to make unplanned changes or to 
advance plans already made; 
Whereas, therefore, flexibility is needed in the time 
schedule for introduction in these Member States; 
Whereas the introduction of number 112 will be possible 
by 1995, even in the few Member States where diffi­
culties exist; 
Whereas, in addition to the technical, operational and 
commercial implications of introducing the chosen 
number within public telecommunications networks, 
Member States must make the necessary organizational 
arrangements best suited to the national organization of 
the emergency systems, in order to ensure that calls to 
this number are adequately answered ,and handled; 
whereas the standard Europe-wide emergency call 
number should therefore be used in parallel with other 
existing national arrangements, where appropriate; 
O OJ No C 44, 23. 2. 1989, p. 3. 
(3) OJ No C 12, 16. 1. 1989, p. 66. 
(4) OJ No C 12, 16. 1. 1989, p. 69. 
21. 10. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 269/9 
Whereas Member States should work towards increasing 
the language capabilities of the operators answering calls 
to number 112, in order to optimize the use of the 
number; 
Whereas the provision of emergency call numbers is 
provided for in all Member States by law, regulation, or 
administrative action and continuing divergent devel­
opments in this area must be avoided, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
1. Member States shall ensure that number 112 is 
introduced in public telephone networks, as well as in 
future integrated services digital networks and public 
mobile services, as the standard Europe-wide emergency 
call number. 
2. The standard Europe-wide emergency call number 
shall be introduced in parallel with any other existing 
national emergency call numbers, where this seems 
appropriate. 
Art ice 2 
Subject to Article 3, the standard Europe-wide 
emergency call number shall be introduced by 31 
December 1992. 
Article 3 
Where particular technical or organizational difficulties 
in a Member State make the full introduction of the 
standard Europe-wide emergency call number by the 
date laid down in Article 2 impossible, the Member State 
shall inform the Commission of these difficulties. In this case, the Member State concerned shall 
communicate to the Commission, with adequate expla­
nations and justification, a new date for the full intro­
duction of the standard Europe-wide emergency call 
number which however must not be later than 31 
December 1995. 
Article 4 
Member States shall take the necessary measures in 
order to ensure that calls to the standard Europe-wide 
emergency call number are adequately answered and 
handled, in a manner best suited to the national organ­
ization of emergency systems. 
Article 5 
Member States shall develop arrangements towards 
increasing the language capabilities of the operators 
answering calls to the standard Europe-wide emergency 
call number, in order to optimize its use. For this 
purpose they shall ensure the progressive implementation 
of technical and organizational arrangements, such as 
the automatic identification of the calling line and of the 
location of the caller and the possibility of automatic 
transfer to an international operator in case of language 
difficulties. 
Article 6 
Member States shall ensure that the texts of the 
provisions which they adopt in the field governed by this 
Decision are communicated to the Commission by 31 
December 1990. 
Article 7 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.