Romania Might Halt Emergency Call Service Over Lack Of Funds

"Unless we find financing resources, we’ll have to close the 112 emergency service, because we’ll have no money to pay salaries,” Opris said.

 

The European Commission said Wednesday it opened an infringement proceeding against Romania to ensure that the single European emergency call number 112 works. The EU Telecom rules require member states to ensure that it is possible to call the emergency services free of charge by using the single European emergency number 112. They also have to ensure that telecom operators provide emergency authorities with the caller location information for calls to 112 from fixed and mobile phones.

 

Operated by the STS, the 112 service was launched in Romania in April 2005 following an investment of EUR40 million.

 

Funding for the service is provided by Romania’s communication regulator ANRCTI, which grants a fixed annual sum to the STS.

 

The country’s IT&C Ministry presented in September a draft law proposing that financing for the emergency call service be ensured from the state budget starting 2008.

 

The funds needed from the state budge for the functioning of the emergency call service amount to RON38 million per year in the 2008-2012 period, while expenses are seen at RON36.6 million in 2008 and RON37.9 million in five years.