ROAD SAFETY : ECALL FOR 2015...OR 2017?

Member states should set up call centres that are capable of handling emergency calls by the end of 2017 at the very latest

On 18 March, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers reached an informal agreement on the implementation of an emergency calling system, also known as eCall. This system is fitted onto cars and automatically alerts emergency services in case of an accident. The compromise was ratified, on 19 March, by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper). It forces member states to have the infrastructure to handle eCalls in place by no later than 1 October 2017.

Another proposal, which is currently being adopted by the EU, will force car manufacturers to equip all new car models with eCall in the future. In terms of equipping cars, Parliament decided, at the end of February, that this should be done by 1 October 2015, but left the door open for postponing the deadline. This text is currently in the...