At its meeting today, the European Union Committee of the Riigikogu supported the proposal of the European Commission to introduce the common EU emergency call system eCall. The aim is to make it easier to provide emergency help in case of traffic accidents, to speed up the response and to reduce the number of injured and deceased victims of traffic accidents. The system requires all new vehicles to be fitted with eCall equipment. In case of a traffic accident, an emergency call can be made from the vehicle via eCall equipment to the common European emergency phone line 112. The system should also help to clear up traffic jams after accidents more rapidly.

“We support the eCall system but before it can be implemented we want to make sure that the system functions perfectly. This is why we are proposing to the European Commission that the term for introducing the system be lengthened and the system be implemented in 2016, not 2015,” said the Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Arto Aas.

The Electronic Communications Act needs to be amended to allow the implementation of the eCall system; the Act should oblige the mobile telephone service providers to forward the eCall calls to the Alarm Centre. In addition to this, the protection of personal and other data must be taken particularly into account when implementing the eCall system.

The Riigikogu Press Service