ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)

Emergency Communications (EMTEL); Collection of European Regulatory Texts and orientations

RTR/EMTEL-00020

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 09-Aug-2011
• Technical Committee: EMTEL - Emergency Communications
• Current Stage: 50 - Withdrawn
• Due Date: 10-Aug-2011
• Completion Date: 16-Jun-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

Technical Report
Emergency Communications (EMTEL);
Collection of European Regulatory Texts and orientations

2 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)

Reference
RTR/EMTEL-00020
Keywords
emergency, regulation
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3 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 5
Foreword . 5
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 References . 6
2.1 Normative references . 6
2.2 Informative references . 6
3 Abbreviations . 8
4 General . 8
5 Documents relevance for EMTEL activities . 9
5.1 Regulatory documents in application, having relevance with EMTEL . 9
5.2 Other documents with less direct impact in EMTEL . 9
5.3 Non regulatory documents related to orientations for future regulations . 9
6 Framework Directive . 10
6.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text . 10
6.2 Chapter IV, general provisions . 10
6.2.1 Article 17, Standardisation . 10
6.2.2 Article 19, Harmonisation procedures . 11
7 Universal Service Directive . 11
7.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text . 12
7.2 Whereas . 12
7.3 Chapter I, scope, aims and definitions . 14
7.3.1 Article 2, Definitions . 14
7.4 Chapter II, Universal service obligations including social obligations . 14
7.4.1 Article 6, Public pay telephones . 14
7.5 Chapter IV, end-user interests and rights . 15
7.5.1 Article 23, Integrity of the network . 15
7.5.2 Article 26, Single European emergency call number . 15
7.5.3 Article 28, Non-geographic numbers . 16
7.6 Chapter V, general and final provisions . 16
7.6.1 Article 38, Transposition . 16
8 Directive on privacy and electronic communications . 16
8.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text . 16
8.2 Article 10, Exceptions . 17
9 Directive on Access and Interconnection . 17
9.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text . 17
10 Authorisation Directive . 17
10.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text . 17
10.2 Article 6, Conditions attached to the general authorisation and to the rights of use for radio frequencies
and for numbers, and specific obligations . 17
10.3 Article 11, Information required under the general authorisation, for rights of use and for the specific
obligations . 18
10.4 Annex A. Conditions which may be attached to a general authorisation . 18
11 Commission recommendation on processing of caller location information . 18
11.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text . 18
11.2 Scope, definitions, field of application . 19
11.3 COI specification . 19
11.4 COI harmonization . 20
11.5 User information . 20
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4 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)
11.6 COI evolution . 20
11.7 Final text (continuation of scope) . 20
12 R&TTE Directive . 20
12.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text . 20
12.2 Article 3, Essential requirements . 20
12.3 Decisions based on the R&TTE relevant for EMTEL . 21
12.3.1 Avalanche beacons . 21
12.3.2 Inland waterways . 21
12.3.3 Maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS). 21
12.3.4 Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) equipment . 21
13 BEREC Regulation . . 21
Annex A: Most relevant web addresses . 22
History . 23

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5 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)
Intellectual Property Rights
IPRs essential or potentially essential to the present document may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be found
in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (http://ipr.etsi.org).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.
Foreword
This Technical Report (TR) has been produced by ETSI Special Committee Emergency Communications (EMTEL).
Introduction
The rapid evolution of the market in Europe, the important multiple technical developments, the new decentralized
structures for the management of Communications Networks and Services are associated to a revision of the regulatory
conditions applicable in the Communications sector in the EU.
This created a number of new difficulties, some of them related to the need of ensuring a high level of support from
Communications systems in Emergency conditions and a permanent increase of the effectiveness of the responsible
bodies in such situations. In fact, if in a single network an Emergency situation is already a delicate case to consider,
when two or more Telecommunications Networks are interconnected and the corresponding operators have different
and sometimes opposite interests, the solution for each problem may be more complex and difficult to find.
In this context the standardization may be the only solution to promote freely and widely accepted solutions fulfilling
the needs of the population, particularly those identified in regulatory documents.
The goal of the present document is to facilitate a stronger standardization in this area by bringing together the most
important easily identified rules in EU. In order to enable also to take into account trends that might result in future
regulatory rules, the document includes a list of main sites where these orientations can be found (Communication,
working documents, statements from official groups, etc.).
The present version is actualised from the previous one produced in 2008. The intention is to collect more information
focused in the relationship between standardization work and EMTEL needs expressed in regulatory documents and
update the document in future versions, when appropriate with more and more updated details. A new update is
necessary at least at the time when the ongoing reform of the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications
is finalized.
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6 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)
1 Scope
The present document identifies:
• the regulatory documents applicable for the emergency communications. The documents are listed in
clause 2.1 and the significant extracts are given in clause 3; and
• other information or references which are considered to be useful in relation to Emergency Communications
(EMTEL), generally applicable regulatory principles, or main orientations which are still under consideration
at the date of revision.
2 References
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
reference document (including any amendments) applies.
Referenced documents which are not found to be publicly available in the expected location might be found at
http://docbox.etsi.org/Reference.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
2.1 Normative references
The following referenced documents are necessary for the application of the present document.
Not applicable.
2.2 Informative references
The following referenced documents are not necessary for the application of the present document but they assist the
user with regard to a particular subject area.
[i.1] Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 7 March 2002 on a
common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (Framework
Directive).
[i.2] Directive 2002/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 7 March 2002 on universal
service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services (Universal
Service Directive).
[i.3] Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 12 July 2002 concerning
the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications
sector (Directive on privacy and electronic communications.
[i.4] Directive 2002/19/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 7 March 2002 on access
to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities (Access
Directive).
[i.5] Directive 2002/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 7 March 2002 on the
authorisation of electronic communications networks and services (Authorisation Directive).
[i.6] Commission Recommendation 2003/558/EC of 25 July 2003 on the processing of caller location
information in electronic communication networks for the purpose of location-enhanced
emergency call services.
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[i.7] Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the council of 9 March 1999 on radio
equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their
conformity.
[i.8] Council Decision 2001/792/EC of 23 October 2001 establishing a Community mechanism to
facilitate reinforced cooperation in civil protection assistance interventions.
[i.9] Official texts relating to Community co-operation on Civil Protection.
[i.10] Decision No 676/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on a
regulatory framework for radio spectrum policy in the European Community (Radio Spectrum
Decision).
[i.11] Commission decision 2001/148/EC of 21 February 2001on the application of Article 3(3)(e) of
Directive 1999/5/EC to avalanche beacons (notified under document number C(2001) 194) (Text
with EEA relevance).
[i.12] Commission decision 2000/637/EC of 22 September 2000 on the application of Article 3(3)(e) of
Directive 1999/5/EC to radio equipment covered by the regional arrangement concerning the
radiotelephone service on inland waterways (notified under document number C(2000) 2718)
(Text with EEA relevance).
[i.13] Commission decision 2003/213/EC of 25 March 2003 on the application of Article 3(3)(e) of
Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council to radio equipment intended
to be used on non-SOLAS vessels and which is intended to participate in the Automatic
Identification System (AIS) (notified under document number C(2003) 808) (Text with EEA
relevance).
[i.14] Commission Decision 2004/71/EC of 4 September 2003 on essential requirements relating to
marine radio communication equipment which is intended to be used on non-SOLAS vessels and
to participate in the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).
[i.15] Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a
procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations on
information society services.
[i.16] Commission Decision C(2006)/6364/ of 11th December 2006, updating the list of standards
(application of Article 17 of the framework Directive). Chapter V addresses localisation.
[i.17] Commission staff working document of June 14 2004 on "The treatment of Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) under the EU Regulatory Framework" (Doc 406-V2).
[i.18] ERG (European Regulators group) document of December 2005: ERG (05) 12 "ERG Common
Statement for VoIP regulatory approaches".
[i.19] COM(2003) 542 final, Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European
Parliament: "Information and Communications Technologies for Safe and Intelligent Vehicles"
(SEC(2003) 963) Brussels, 15.9.2003.
[i.20] COM(2005) 431 final: Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European
Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions :
"The 2nd eSafety Communication, bringing eCall to citizens" Brussels, 14.9.2005.
[i.21] Directive 2006/24/EC of the European Parliament and the Council (15 March 2006) on the
retention of data generated and processed in connexion with the provision of publicly available
electronic communications services or public communications networks and amending Directive
2002/58/EC.
[i.22] COM(2006) 723 final, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the
Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions;
"Bringing eCall back on track - Action Plan"; (3rd eSafety Communication) Brussels, 23.11.2006.
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[i.23] COM(2007) 541 final, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the
Council, ,the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions:
"Towards Europe-wide Safer, Cleaner and Efficient Mobility: The First Intelligent Car Report"
Brussels, 17.9.2007.
[i.24] Directive 2009/136/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009
amending Directive 2002/22/EC on universal service and users" rights relating to electronic
communications networks and services, Directive 2002/58/EC concerning the processing of
personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector and Regulation
(EC) No 2006/2004 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement
of consumer protection laws.
[i.25] Directive 2009/140/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009
amending Directives 2002/21/EC on a common regulatory framework for electronic
communications networks and services, 2002/19/EC on access to, and interconnection of,
electronic communications networks and associated facilities, and 2002/20/EC on the authorisation
of electronic communications networks and services.
[i.26] Regulation (EC) No 1211/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November
2009 establishing the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and
the Office.
3 Abbreviations
For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:
AIS Automatic Identification System
CEC Commission of the European Communities
CEN European Committee for Standardisation
CENELEC European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
COI Common Open Interface
EMTEL Emergency Telecommunications
ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
EU European Union
GMDSS Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
ISO International Standardization Organization
R&TTE Radio equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment
4 General
The present document tries to identify the most relevant regulatory principles applicable to EMTEL. A careful study of
the EU and national regulation is required for a complete understanding of all the implications of the presently
applicable legal measures.
To facilitate the access to the source texts and minimize the risk of misunderstandings and false interpretations, the
majority of the text was literally copied from the official documents. This text is printed in italics to allow a clear
identification. In some cases, more important words or statements are printed in bold to call the attention of the reader.
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9 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)
5 Documents relevance for EMTEL activities
The documents produced within the frame of the Commission should be considered on the basis of their relevance
towards emergency telecommunications. Three classes are proposed to sort them adequately:
• regulatory documents having relevance for EMTEL;
• other regulatory documents with less direct impact on EMTEL; and
• documents giving orientations for future regulations.
5.1 Regulatory documents in application, having relevance with
EMTEL
The documents in this category are in application and should be well known or addressed in the course of any activity in
emergency telecommunications.
References [i.1], [i.2], [i.3], [i.4], [i.5], [i.6], [i.7], [i.16], [i.24], [i.25] and [i.26] fall in this category.
NOTE: The directives [i.1], [i.2], [i.3], [i.4], [i.5] are amended by the directives [i.24] and [i.25] and in order to
have the official version of the directive the reader should have both the basic directive and the amending
directive. In order to ease the reader the present document contains emergency telecommunications
related "whereas" texts both from the basic directive and the amending directive but concerning the
articles in the directives only the texts in force are included.
5.2 Other documents with less direct impact in EMTEL
These documents are also regulatory and in application but they should be considered as elements of the framework of
communications services and precising the overall context; but they have no direct impact on emergency
telecommunications.
References [i.8], [i.9], [i.10], [i.11], [i.12], [i.13],[i.14] , [i.15] and [i.21] fall in this category.
5.3 Non regulatory documents related to orientations for future
regulations
Rapid progress in technology makes it worthwhile to quote different topics that are addressed within the Commission or
related groups. These orientations have not yet resulted in regulations, but are linked to the standardization activities in
the field of Emergency Telecommunications, or can have an influence on them:
• NGN and Internet based telephony services.
References [i.17] and [i.18] fall in this category.
In [i.17], clauses 5.2. "Emergency Services", 5.3. "Routing Emergency Calls" and 5.4. "Enhanced Emergency Service -
Caller location", and in [i.18] clause 4 "Specific Statement on Access to Emergency Services" have a specific interest:
• Road Safety related services.
In 2005, the Commission launched the eCall project with an objective to deploy a service of automatic call in case of
road accident.
References [i.19], [i.20], [i.22] and [i.23] fall in this category.
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6 Framework Directive
Directive 2002/21/EC [i.1] of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on a common regulatory
framework for electronic communications networks and services (Framework Directive) as amended by the Directive
2009/140/EC [i.25].
6.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text
The list of standards published by the Commission in the Official Journal of the European Communities may contain
standards and/or specifications relevant to EMTEL.
6.2 Chapter IV, general provisions
6.2.1 Article 17, Standardisation
The text of the amending directive contains some changes to the text of the Directive 2002/21/EC [i.1].
1. The Commission, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 22(2), shall draw up and publish in
the Official Journal of the European Communities a list of non-compulsory standards and/or specifications to serve as
a basis for encouraging the harmonised provision of electronic communication networks, electronic communications
services and associated facilities and services. Where necessary, the Commission may, acting in accordance with the
procedure referred to in Article 22(2) and following consultation of the Committee established by Directive 98/34/EC,
request that standards be drawn up by the European standards organisations (European Committee for Standardisation
(CEN), European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC), and European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (ETSI)).
2. Member States shall encourage the use of the standards and/or specifications referred to in paragraph 1, for the
provision of services, technical interfaces and/or network functions, to the extent strictly necessary to ensure
interoperability of services and to improve freedom of choice for users.
As long as standards and/or specifications have not been published in accordance with paragraph 1, Member States
shall encourage the implementation of standards and/or specifications adopted by the European standards
organisations.
In the absence of such standards and/or specifications, Member States shall encourage the implementation of
international standards or recommendations adopted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the
European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), the International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Where international standards exist, Member States shall encourage the European standards organisations to use them,
or the relevant parts of them, as a basis for the standards they develop, except where such international standards or
relevant parts would be ineffective.
3. If the standards and/or specifications referred to in paragraph 1 have not been adequately implemented so that
interoperability of services in one or more Member States cannot be ensured, the implementation of such standards
and/or specifications may be made compulsory under the procedure laid down in paragraph 4, to the extent strictly
necessary to ensure such interoperability and to improve freedom of choice for users.
4. Where the Commission intends to make the implementation of certain standards and/or specifications compulsory, it
shall publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union and invite public comment by all parties
concerned. The Commission shall take appropriate implementing measures and make implementation of the relevant
standards compulsory by making reference to them as compulsory standards in the list of standards and/or
specifications published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
5. Where the Commission considers that standards and/or specifications referred to in paragraph 1 no longer
contribute to the provision of harmonised electronic communications services, or that they no longer meet consumers'
needs or are hampering technological development, it shall, acting in accordance with the advisory procedure referred
to in Article 22(2), remove them from the list of standards and/or specifications referred to in paragraph 1.
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11 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)
6. Where the Commission considers that standards and/or specifications referred to in paragraph 4 no longer
contribute to the provision of harmonised electronic communications services, or that they no longer meet consumers'
needs or are hampering technological development, it shall, take the appropriate implementing measures and remove
those standards and/or specifications from the list of standards and/or specifications referred to in paragraph 1.
6a. The implementing measures designed to amend nonessential elements of this Directive by supplementing it, referred
to in paragraphs 4 and 6, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in
Article 22(3).
7. This Article does not apply in respect of any of the essential requirements, interface specifications or harmonised
standards to which the provisions of Directive 1999/5/EC apply.
6.2.2 Article 19, Harmonisation procedures
The text of the amending directive contains some changes to the text of the Directive 2002/21/EC [i.1].
1. Without prejudice to Article 9 of this Directive and Articles 6 and 8 of Directive 2002/20/EC (Authorisation
Directive), where the Commission finds that divergences in the implementation by the national regulatory authorities of
the regulatory tasks specified in this Directive and the Specific Directives may create a barrier to the internal market,
the Commission may, taking the utmost account of the opinion of BEREC, issue a recommendation or a decision on the
harmonised application of the provisions in this Directive and the Specific Directives in order to further the
achievement of the objectives set out in Article 8.
2. Where the Commission issues a recommendation pursuant to paragraph 1, it shall act in accordance with the
advisory procedure referred to in Article 22(2).
Member States shall ensure that national regulatory authorities take the utmost account of those recommendations in
carrying out their tasks. Where a national regulatory authority chooses not to follow a recommendation, it shall inform
the Commission, giving the reasons for its position.
3. The decisions adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 may include only the identification of a harmonised or coordinated
approach for the purposes of addressing the following matters:
(a) the inconsistent implementation of general regulatory approaches by national regulatory authorities on the
regulation of electronic communication markets in the application of Articles 15 and 16, where it creates a
barrier to the internal market. Such decisions shall not refer to specific notifications issued by the national
regulatory authorities pursuant to Article 7a;
In such a case, the Commission shall propose a draft decision only:
- after at least two years following the adoption of a Commission Recommendation dealing with the same
matter, and;
- taking utmost account of an opinion from BEREC on the case for adoption of such a decision, which
shall be provided by BEREC within three months of the Commission's request;
(b) numbering, including number ranges, portability of numbers and identifiers, number and address translation
systems, and access to 112 emergency services.
4. The decision referred to in paragraph 1, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive by
supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article
22(3).
5. BEREC may on its own initiative advise the Commission on whether a measure should be adopted pursuant to
paragraph 1.
7 Universal Service Directive
Directive 2002/22/EC [i.2] of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on universal service and
users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services (Universal Service Directive) as amended by
the Directive 2009/136/EC [i.24].
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7.1 Executive Summary of EMTEL relevant text
Emergency telecommunications is a part of the Universal Service for fixed switched telephone networks. This may
include radio access parts, including commonly used mobile based technologies with the intention to supply basic
services for fixed places. CEC has information on the national implementations.
7.2 Whereas
a) Directive 2002/22/EC [i.2]
...
(12) For the citizen, it is important for there to be adequate provision of public pay telephones, and for users to be
able to call emergency telephone numbers and, in particular, the single European emergency call number
("112") free of charge from any telephone, including public pay telephones, without the use of any means of
payment. Insufficient information about the existence of "112" deprives citizens of the additional safety
ensured by the existence of this number at European level especially during their travel in other Member
States.
(13) Member States should take suitable measures in order to guarantee access to and affordability of all publicly
available telephone services at a fixed location for disabled users and users with special social needs. Specific
measures for disabled users could include, as appropriate, making available accessible public telephones,
public text telephones or equivalent measures for deaf or speech-impaired people, providing services such as
directory enquiry services or equivalent measures free of charge for blind or partially sighted people, and
providing itemised bills in alternative format on request for blind or partially sighted people. Specific
measures may also need to be taken to enable disabled users and users with special social needs to access
emergency services "112" and to give them a similar possibility to choose between different operators or
service providers as other consumers. Quality of service standards have been developed for a range of
parameters to assess the quality of services received by subscribers and how well undertakings designated
with universal service obligations perform in achieving these standards. Quality of service standards do not
yet exist in respect of disabled users. Performance standards and relevant parameters should be developed for
disabled users and are provided for in Article 11 of this Directive. Moreover, national regulatory authorities
should be enabled to require publication of quality of service performance data if and when such standards
and parameters are developed. The provider of universal service should not take measures to prevent users
from benefiting fully from services offered by different operators or service providers, in combination with its
own services offered as part of universal service.
…
(36) It is important that users should be able to call the single European emergency number "112", and any other
national emergency telephone numbers, free of charge, from any telephone, including public pay telephones,
without the use of any means of payment. Member States should have already made the necessary
organisational arrangements best suited to the national organisation of the emergency systems, in order to
ensure that calls to this number are adequately answered and handled. Caller location information, to be
made available to the emergency services, will improve the level of protection and the security of users of
"112" services and assist the emergency services, to the extent technically feasible, in the discharge of their
duties, provided that the transfer of calls and associated data to the emergency services concerned is
guaranteed. The reception and use of such information should comply with relevant Community law on the
processing of personal data. Steady information technology improvements will progressively support the
simultaneous handling of several languages over the networks at a reasonable cost. This in turn will ensure
additional safety for European citizens using the "112" emergency call number.
…
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13 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)
b) Directive 2009/136/EC [i.24]
...
(23) Providers of electronic communications services that allow calls should ensure that their customers are
adequately informed as to whether or not access to emergency services is provided and of any limitation on
service (such as a limitation on the provision of caller location information or the routing of emergency calls).
Such providers should also provide their customers with clear and transparent information in the initial
contract and in the event of any change in the access provision, for example in billing information. This
information should include any limitations on territorial coverage, on the basis of the planned technical
operating parameters of the service and the available infrastructure. Where the service is not provided over a
switched telephony network, the information should also include the level of reliability of the access and of
caller location information compared to a service that is provided over a switched telephony network, taking
into account current technology and quality standards, as well as any quality of service parameters specified
under Directive 2002/22/EC (Universal Service Directive).
...
(39) End-users should be able to call and access the emergency services using any telephone service capable of
originating voice calls through a number or numbers in national telephone numbering plans. Member States
that use national emergency numbers besides "112" may impose on undertakings similar obligations for
access to such national emergency numbers. Emergency authorities should be able to handle and answer calls
to the number "112" at least as expeditiously and effectively as calls to national emergency numbers. It is
important to increase awareness of "112" in order to improve the level of protection and security of citizens
travelling in the European Union. To this end, citizens should be made fully aware, when travelling in any
Member State, in particular through information provided in international bus terminals, train stations, ports
or airports and in telephone directories, payphone kiosks, subscriber and billing material, that "112" can be
used as a single emergency number throughout the Community. This is primarily the responsibility of the
Member States, but the Commission should continue both to support and to supplement initiatives of the
Member States to heighten awareness of "112" and periodically to evaluate the public’s awareness of it. The
obligation to provide caller location information should be strengthened so as to increase the protection of
citizens. In particular, undertakings should make caller location information available to emergency services
as soon as the call reaches that service independently of the technology used. In order to respond to
technological developments, including those leading to increasingly accurate caller location information, the
Commission should be empowered to adopt technical implementing measures to ensure effective access to
"112" services in the Community for the benefit of citizens. Such measures should be without prejudice to the
organisation of emergency services of Member States.
(40) Member States should ensure that undertakings providing end-users with an electronic communications
service designed for originating calls through a number or numbers in a national telephone numbering plan
provide reliable and accurate access to emergency services, taking into account national specifications and
criteria. Network-independent undertakings may not have control over networks and may not be able to ensure
that emergency calls made through their service are routed with the same reliability, as they may not be able
to guarantee service availability, given that problems related to infrastructure are not under their control. For
network-independent undertakings, caller location information may not always be technically feasible. Once
internationally-recognised standards ensuring accurate and reliable routing and connection to the emergency
services are in place, network-independent undertakings should also fulfil the obligations related to caller
location information at a level comparable to that required of other undertakings.
(41) Member States should take specific measures to ensure that emergency services, including "112", are equally
accessible to disabled end-users, in particular deaf, hearing-impaired, speech-impaired and deaf-blind users.
This could involve the provision of special terminal devices for hearing-impaired users, text relay services, or
other specific equipment.
...
(44) Voice calls remain the most robust and reliable form of access to emergency services. Other means of contact,
such as text messaging, may be less reliable and may suffer from lack of immediacy. Member States should,
however, if they deem it appropriate, be free to promote the development and implementation of other means
of access to emergency services which are capable of ensuring access equivalent to voice calls.
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ETSI
14 ETSI TR 102 299 V1.2.1 (2011-08)
(73) In particular, the Commission should be empowered to adopt implementing measures on effective access to
"112" services, as well as to adapt the Annexes to technical progress or changes in market demand. It should
also be empowered to adopt implementing measures concerning information and notification requirements
and security of processing. Since those measures are of general scope and are designed to amend
non-essential elements of Directives 2002/22/EC (Universal Service Directive) and 2002/58/EC (Directive on
privacy and electroni
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