MEP Maria Walsh has called on the European Commission to deliver an EU-wide emergency phone number service to protect citizens in times of crisis.
MEP Walsh, along with her fellow co-chairs of the European Parliament’s Mental Health Intergroup, has written to Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen calling for the creation of new EU legislation to establish a fully interconnected EU-wide emergency number.
MEP Walsh is urging the European Commission to move beyond basic emergency contact databases and to legislate for full interconnection between national emergency services, allowing calls to be immediately forwarded to the appropriate authority in any EU country.
MEP Maria Walsh said:
“While 112 is recognised as an emergency number across the European Union, it does not actually guarantee that emergency calls can be transferred between EU countries. This leaves people unable to act quickly when they become aware of a crisis in another Member State. We urgently need an EU-wide emergency phone number that works in practice, not just on paper.
“My call for an EU-wide emergency phone number was prompted by a tragic event. Last December, a young Estonian girl attempted to contact emergency services after realising her Italian friend was in danger during a video call. Despite dialling 112, she was told that the Estonian emergency operator could not connect her to Italian emergency services and advised her to search for the relevant number online. While time was lost, the Italian girl tragically died by suicide. The Estonian girl later attempted suicide herself.
“This is a heartbreaking example of a system that isn’t fit for purpose. Thousands of Irish people live, work, study and build relationships across the EU and our emergency systems must reflect that reality. If an Irish person raises the alarm, the system should respond wherever the emergency is happening. “This is a practical, achievable step that would save lives. Europe has acknowledged the scale of the mental health crisis. Now it must deliver the tools that allow people to intervene when they see someone in danger.”