The Parliament vote confirmed the agreement in “trilogue” negotiations, which provided for the deployment, at least six months before the date of application of the Regulation concerning the mandatory fitting of the eCall device in vehicles (personal cars and commercial light vehicles), of the eCall infrastructure required for the handling of all eCalls on the EU territory, with a final deadline for the deployment set at 1st October 2017.

European Commission vice-president Siim Kallas, responsible for Mobility and Transport, welcomed the vote, commenting said: ‘In the near future, eCall will be available for everyone in the EU, and will help us mitigate the consequences of road accidents. eCall will be a major asset in our efforts to halve road fatalities by 2020.’

The European Commission added that the Parliament's plenary vote is an ‘important step in the EU road safety strategy to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries. It ensures that once cars equipped with eCall will be on the EU roads, the necessary infrastructure will be ready to handle the calls and to rescue drivers and passengers more quickly throughout the European Union.’

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) also welcomed the fact that member states will have to be ready with the infrastructure six months before it becomes mandatory in vehicles. The ACEA said it calls on member states to implement the decision concurrently, so as to avoid an incoherently staggered approach that might undermine the usefulness of the system.

‘This decision brings Europe one step closer to making operational a system which European automobile manufacturers have been advocating since 2004. European automobile manufacturers are committed to improving safety outcomes, and invest billions of euros every year to this effect,’ said Erik Jonnaert, ACEA Secretary General.

It is estimated that 112 eCall can speed up emergency response times by 40% in urban areas and 50% in the countryside and can reduce the number of fatalities by at least 4% and the number of severe injuries by 6%.