The member states' permanent representatives today (19.3.2014) endorsed the compromise reached between the Council and the European Parliament concerning a decision to introduce a mandatory EU-wide system to handle emergency calls sent automatically by cars or triggered manually by people in the car in case of a crash (eCalls).

The EU-wide eCall is expected to speed up the emergency services' response time by 40% in urban areas and 50% in the countryside, bringing down the number of fatalities and reducing the severity of injuries suffered in road accidents. It will also cut down congestion caused by accidents and the number of secondary accidents at unsecured accident sites.

To enter into force, the text still needs to be formally approved by the Parliament, whose vote in plenary is expected to take place in April, and the Council, which is due to take its decision after the vote in Parliament. The procedure (agreement at first reading) is expected to be completed this spring.