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Press Release
Brussels, 25th October 2006.
EENA's citizen actions weight in European Emergency Telecommunications
EENA organises an EU-US Emergency Telecommunications Summit next June 6th & 7th, following the support given to its initiatives by the European Parliament and the European Commission and the mounting success of its online petition for a better 112. Of course much more remain to be done, especially concerning the establishment of quality criteria and the verification of the replies of Member States on this field.
Our aim through the coming European Emergency Telecommunications Summit is to provide a political rather than technological approach to Emergency Telecommunications in the European Union and its Member States. Determined to underline the need for a strong political will to save lives, EENA has officially invited high-level political representatives to present the last developments (e.g. Federal Interoperable Communications and Safety Act, FICS, 2006) in the United States of America.
EENA's intention to consider Emergency Telecommunications from a political point of view is reinforced by the results of recent citizen actions at the EU level:
1. First, the European Parliament invited Olivier Paul-Morandini (Founder and President of EENA) to present the Petition introduced by EENA in July 2005. EENA's arguments were officially considered in the Committee on Petitions' reply. As a consequence, special letters will be addressed to the European Commission and the Council of the European Union in order to make sure that 112 emergency number is known, fully accessible and operational across the European Union.
2. Furthermore, by adopting the Report of MEP Dimitrios Papadimoulis, on the proposal for a Council decision establishing a Community civil protection mechanism, the European Parliament supported EENA's position that "during major disasters, governments are warned but citizens are not; Any Early Warning Systems should integrate alert to the population also!" (Dimitrios Papadimoulis, October 23). EENA hopes that the Council of the European Union will take into account the amendments proposed by the European Parliament on this issue.
3. Moreover, the European Commission, which took time to consider the complaints EENA introduced in 2004, has now adopted some measures (MEMO/06/371). So-called reasoned opinions will be sent to 6 Member States (Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Italy and Portugal) in which caller location is still not available when dialing 112, endangering millions of lives throughout Europe. Belgium, Latvia ad Hungary are still under investigation.
4. Last but not least, EENA launched in collaboration with the Citizens' Committee for a Promised Europe an online petition available at www.112petition.org for an efficient 112 throughout Europe. Everyday more citizens sign the petition and we cordially invite you to disseminate information about this citizen initiative that could save millions of lives on our continent.
However, as deplored by EENA in its press release on April 2006 , the Commission did not take into account the fact that in most countries citizens are still not adequately informed about the existence and use of the single European emergency call number 112 and the services linked with this number (privacy), as stipulated in the last paragraph of article 26 of directive 2002/22 (Directive on Universal Service) and in article 10 of directive 2002/58/EC (Directive on the Protection of Privacy).
What's more, in its press release dated 12 October 2006, the Commission states that for Ireland, Cyprus and Luxembourg, the pending proceedings could be closed after national authorities confirmed that caller location information is now available. Is it really the case? If it is, then what is the location technology used? How long does it take the emergency services to get caller location information from the telecom operator? With which geographical accuracy?
We remind once again that in October 2005 the Commission stated that Belgium was locating mobile phone calls in case of emergency. It was however contradicted in June 2006 at the Belgian Parliament which discovered that Only calls from landline are located..." (The 112 Newsletter, Issue 16, August 2006).
Contact person of the European Emergency Number Association:
Olivier PAUL-MORANDINI: +32(0)475/84 00 82