Leg­isla­tive frame­work for emer­gen­cy calls

European Union legal framework

The European Union (EU) sets the legal framework for the use of the single European emergency call number 112 in Article 6(3) and Article 26 of the Directive on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services (Universal Service Directive), as amended by Directive 2009/136/EC.
Article 26(5) of the Universal Service Directive requires all public telecommunications operators involved in setting up emergency calls to make caller location information available to the emergency service centres. This additional feature of the traditional emergency call service was introduced in the Commission Recommendation of 25 July 2003 on the processing of caller location information in electronic communication networks for the purpose of location-enhanced emergency call services. Article 10 of the Directive on privacy and electronic communications, as amended by Directives 2006/24/EC and 2009/136/EC, further permits the use of location information by emergency services without the consent of the person concerned.

Emergency calls in the Telecommunications Act

The EU legislative provisions concerning emergency calls were transposed into German national law in the 2004 Telecommunications Act (TKG). The obligations concerning setting up calls to the single European emergency number 112 and the additional national emergency number 110 in Germany are laid down in section 108 of the Act:

1. Anyone who offers publicly available telecommunications services enabling the origination of calls to a number or numbers in the national telephone numbering plan, provides access to such services or operates telecommunications networks must ensure or duly help to ensure that emergency calls

   • can be made at any time and
   • reach the correct local emergency service centre without delay.

2. The following information must be transmitted with the emergency call:

   • the caller's number and
   • the information required to identify the caller's location.

Ordinance on Emergency Calls

The Ordinance on Emergency Calls (NotrufV) issued by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) contains more detailed regulations concerning the emergency call features and the principles for defining the catchment areas served by the emergency service centres.

Technical Directive on Emergency Calls

The Technical Directive on Emergency Calls drawn up by the Bundesnetzagentur contains the technical details for setting up emergency calls to the correct local emergency service centre.