Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner responsible for the Digital Agenda, has warned national governments and vehicle manufacturers that they must get ready for legislation mandating eCall from 2015 onwards in newly Type-Approved models.
“The eCall service will without any doubt be implemented in all vehicles in Europe, so vehicle manufacturers, network operators and Member States should start working on it, if they have not yet done so,” said Kroes at a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism in Brussels mid-September. “Mandatory introduction is the most cost-efficient option,” she claimed.
Kroes confirmed that the EC is producing a three-pronged legislative process:
• Recommendation requires Member States to ensure that mobile network operators implement an eCall flag to identify in-car emergency calls.
• ITS Directive requires Member States to upgrade their emergency call response centres.
• Type Approval legislation requires vehicle manufacturers to equip their new models with eCall systems.
“After many false starts and delays, eCall is now definitely happening and vehicle manufacturers need to develop strategies in response,” says Stephen Longden, the author of SBD’s report Pan-European eCall - how should you respond to legislation?
“Some unresolved issues still exist including the question of whether Member States will have upgraded their PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points) in time for the start of factory-fitment in cars,” notes Longden. “Another key issue is the question of liability for the successful operation of the services. This is difficult to allocate in complex service chain comprising the car, network operator, PSAP and emergency services. However, if a crash happens and the eCall is not effective it will be the carmaker that gets blamed by the consumer.”
“eCall could play the role of a catalyst for the deployment of other types of services such as navigation, roadside assistance or handsfree calling,” said Kroes referring to the possibility of piggybacking commercial added-value services onto the eCall infrastructure.
“We expect from the Member States, vehicle manufacturers, mobile network operators and all stakeholders involved in eCall to do what is required to implement it as soon as possible,” warned Kroes in her strongly worded speech. “It is now crucial that there are no unnecessary delays in the introduction of his safety system.”
To learn more about the eCall mandate in Europe or to buy the report Pan-European eCall - how should you respond to legislation? contact Alessio at ABallatore@sbd.co.uk.