08/12/2025 Brussels, Belgium
“112 single emergency number is a critical lifeline for all our citizens, … an incredible success story for the EU.” Hans Das, Deputy General of DG Echo, European Commission
On 2 December, leading public safety representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament and civil society gathered in Brussels to hear directly from Ukrainian emergency services on how the EU can strengthen public safety during major crises, and improve its support for Ukraine’s emergency services. The event was co-organised by EENA and MEP Grégory Allione, co-chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on Resilience, Disaster Management and Civil Protection.
Since 2022, Ukraine has implemented ambitious reforms to its emergency communications systems. These include a full modernisation of its 112 architecture to improve responses to complex emergencies, highly reliable public warning systems, and a resilience-centric approach to ensure 112 can function during attacks on power and telecommunications networks.
These reforms have helped Ukrainian emergency services respond to the unprecedented challenges caused for public safety by regular Russian missile and artillery strikes on civilian areas. However, participants agreed that further EU aid would be needed to ensure that Ukraine can continue protecting civilian lives during wartime.
Attendees also learned that Ukraine has introduced advanced accessibility features for 112 that go far beyond those found in most EU countries. These include video and sign language services, and private initiatives to help deaf people receive public warnings, with the European Disability Forum stating that this left emergency communications in Ukraine “decades ahead” of those in the EU. Ukraine’s decision to prioritise improvements to 112 systems and accessibility despite facing limited resources during a war demonstrated the importance that it has attached to protecting all of its citizens during crises.
In contrast, recent blackouts within the EU in several countries, and emerging issues affecting 112 while roaming highlighted growing vulnerabilities in the EU’s 112 systems that could be taken advantage of during a future crisis. While the EU’s broader progress on improving resilience was welcomed, it wasn’t clear if this focus on resilience has extended to emergency communications.
There were two clear conclusions from this event, which featured presentations from Deputy Interior Minister of Ukraine, Leonid Tymchenko, Oleksandr Sinkov, Deputy Head of the Emergency Response Department at SES Ukraine, EENA, several MEPs and representatives from DG CNECT and DG ECHO.
The first was that 112 serves as a first line of defence for people during modern crises, allowing people to provide information to emergency services, get help, and receive public warnings. The second was that modern crises place unprecedented pressure on 112 systems, which will require urgent upgrades if they can be trusted to continue functioning during future crises.
Fortunately, EENA noted that the European Union has the power to improve the safety and accessibility of 112 in 2026. The EU has full powers to set rules on access to 112 and public warning in Europe, and the two pieces of legislation governing this, the Digital Networks Act, and the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, will be negotiated by the EU during 2026. Integrating improvements to improve 112 into this legislation would be an invaluable step in ensuring that no one in Europe will have to face an emergency without reliable access to help.