According to the European Commission, 74% of Europeans don't know what emergency number to call when travelling in the EU. This is the reason why many major rail, air and other transport companies have joined Commission's Vice Presidents Neelie Kroes and Siim Kallas call for carrying out a campaign to raise 112 awareness rates.

Commission's Vice Presidents Neelie Kroes and Siim Kallas has presented the new campaign to raise 112 awareness rates. The reason behind this campaign it that yet only 34% of regular travellers and 26% of all Europeans know that 112 is the single emergency number they can call, both in and outside their home country when in trouble. In February 2011, a survey already showed that few Europeans knew well how 112 emergency number works.

The emergency number will be publicised without cost to taxpayers on e-tickets, in on-board magazines, on their company websites and through their staff on many major rail, air and other transport. The list of participating companies can be consulted on www.112.eu. Furthermore, Vice Presidents Kroes and Kallas have decided to work together to ensure every European can access a 112 smartphone app, in their own language.

112 links the caller to the relevant emergency service (local police, fire brigade or medical services) and is available 24-hours a day. 112 is now operational in all EU member states alongside existing national emergency numbers (like 999 or 110). 112 is also being used in countries outside the EU, such as in Croatia, Montenegro and Turkey. Ukraine has also committed to introduce this number in the cities which will host Euro 2012 football matches (Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kiev and Lviv) by the beginning of the sports event.