The European Commission (EC) has confirmed that the single European emergency number (112) is now available in Bulgaria with the caller location function. This means that the number is now operational in all the Member-States of the European Union (EU).
In October 2007, the EC launched an infringement procedure against Bulgaria for failing to implement the 112 number. On 18 September 2008, the Commission decided to refer the case to the European Court of Justice, but delayed it by three months to allow Bulgaria to finalise its implementation plan. In September 2008, the Commission also gave Romania three extra months to make sure caller location services were in place, which, according to Romanian authorities was achieved at the end of November.
Despite the availability of 112, the EC still recognises that there is room for improvement, especially ''for 112 centres to be able to communicate with more than one language or have interpretation services available''.
New information from all the EU's Member States on the operation of 112 will be published by the Commission on the respective website on 11 February 2009, the 112 European Day, which the Commission is organising jointly with the European Parliament.
European emergency number 112 now works in all EU Member Stateshttp://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1968&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Further information:
112: The European emergency numberhttp://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/112/index_en.htm
