‘6. 8. 91 Official Journal of the BEuropean Communities No L 217/31 COUNCIL DECISION of 29 July 1991 on the introduction of a single European emergency call number (91/396/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Par- liament (3), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas the telephone is the best means of access to emergency services of all kinds; whereas at present various telephone numbers are used for this purpose in the Member States ; Whereas the effect of such differences is to create problems in contacting the responsible services for citizens facing emergency situations in other Member States ; Whereas the substantial increase in both private and busi- ness travel within the Community has created a demand for the introduction of a single European emergency call number ; Whereas the introduction of new technologies in public telephone networks and the coordinated introduction of advanced telecommunications infrastructures present a unique opportunity for the implementation of a single European emergency call number, in parallel to the exist- ing national emergency call numbers, where appropriate ; Whereas the Council, in its resolution of 13 February 1989 on the new developments in Community coopera- tion on civil protection (%), stressed the desirability of a Community-wide single additional emergency telephone number which will in particular enable citizens in an emergency or disaster to call the relevant national emer- gency services ; () OJ No C 275, 1. 11. 1990, p. 4. () OJ No C 231, 17. 9. 1990, p. 83 and OJ No C 183, 15. 7. 1991. () OJ No C 62, 12. 3. 1990, p. 1. () OJ No C 44, 23. 2. 1989, p. 1. Whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly empha- sized the importance of the introduction of such a number, in particular in its resolutions of 12 December 1988 on telecommunications (°) ; Whereas the European Conference of Post and Telecom- munications (CEPT) recommended in its recommenda- tion T/SF1 of 1976 the use of the number 112 as the single European emergency call number; Whereas this recommendation has only been followed by a very small number of Member States; Whereas it will be possible in all Member States to devise. a plan to make the number 112 available; Whereas several Member States could introduce the number 112 by 1992; whereas however, for some Member States this would cause problems since they would need to make unplanned changes or to change plans already made ; Whereas, therefore, flexibility is needed in the time sche- dule for introducing the emergency call number in these Member States ; Whereas the introduction of the number 112 will be possible by 1996, even in the Member States where diffi- culties exist ; Whereas, in addition to the technical, financial, opera- tional and commercial implications of introducing the chosen number within public telecommunications networks, Member States will have to make the necessary organizational arrangements best suited to the national organization of the emergency systems, in order to ensure that calls to this number are adequately answered and handled ; whereas it would be desirable to devote efforts to easing difficulties of comprehension which ‘may arise from different language capabilities, taking account of the possibilities of the various national systems ; whereas the single European emergency call number could therefore be used in parallel with any other ex15t1ng national arran- gements, where appropriate ; Whereas the provision of emergency call numbers is pres- cribed in all Member States by law, regulation, or admin- istrative action, and divergent developments in this area must be avoided ; Whereas the Treaty does not provide, for the adoption of this Decision, powers other than those of Article 235, () OJ No C 12, 16. 1. 1989, p. 66.