EENA Update 22/01/2026
EENA’s newsletter brings you the latest updates in emergency communications.
In this edition, you can read about the recently published Digital Networks Act, Armenia launching a unified 112 emergency number, problems with FR-Alert, EENA’s new Members’ Area, and much more!
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EENA News
Registration for EENA Conference & Exhibition 2026 is open!
Join us in Riga, Latvia, on 15-17 April 2026, for three days of discussions, practical insights, and opportunities to connect with over 700 public safety professionals from more than 50 countries.
The conference programme will focus on strengthening preparedness and resilience in emergency communications, addressing challenges posed by geopolitical uncertainty, natural disasters, and the phasing out of 2G/3G networks. We will also explore Public Warning Systems, data integration, Next Generation 112, AI in PSAPs, and forthcoming EU legislation.
To benefit from the early bird price, register before 31 January! More information on pricing and tickets can be found on our website.
Registration for the pre-conference workshop is now open! Organised by Verisure, this exclusive session for public authority representatives will offer a strategic forum for PSAPs and third-party services to explore how cooperation models are evolving in today’s emergency response landscape. The workshop is free of charge, and you must be registered for the 2026 conference to attend.
New EENA Members’ Area is now live!
We have launched the new EENA Members’ Area! The Members’ Area has been designed to make managing your EENA membership easier and to provide a single place for accessing member-specific resources, such as the PSAP report. Additional content and features will be added gradually, including webinar registrations and member updates later this year.
If you are already an EENA member and have not registered yet
Please register in the Members’ Area to activate your access and remain up to date with member communications and member-only benefits.
If you are a corporate member
Your organisation’s account should be set up by the main contact, who will then be able to add colleagues from the same organisation.
If you are not currently a member
If you would like to become an EENA member, you are welcome to apply for ESSN or researcher membership! If you are from a company that would like to join EENA, please reach out to [email protected] for more details.
European Commission publishes new proposal to strengthen 112 and network resilience
The European Commission has published its long-awaited proposal for a Digital Networks Act (DNA), set to become the EU’s main legal framework for telecommunications, including emergency communications. For 112 and public warning, the proposal largely maintains existing obligations from the European Electronic Communications Code while clarifying expectations, with a strong focus on resilience, including preparedness measures and mandatory testing/validation before significant network changes.
EENA welcomes the proposal, which reflects many of the issues raised by EENA with EU institutions in recent years. The proposal is a step forward both in bringing more legal clarity to key obligations and in strengthening the resilience of emergency communications and public warning, so that 112 can be relied on when networks are under pressure, while some provisions will still need clarification to avoid unintended consequences. EENA will engage with the European Parliament and the Council as the legislative process moves forward.
EENA joins the AWARE Alliance
EENA has joined the AWARE Alliance (Alliance for Workplace Awareness and Response to Emergencies), a European coalition focused on improving workplace preparedness for health emergencies, particularly sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The Alliance promotes stronger first aid and CPR training requirements, and advocates for better availability of essential emergency equipment, including automated external defibrillators (AEDs), in workplaces across Europe.
New colleague joins EENA
We are happy to welcome a new colleague to the EENA team! Beatrice Carradorini has joined EENA as a Project Officer. She will primarily contribute to EENA’s EU-funded projects.
Webinars
Disability-accessible emergency communications: Learning from wartime experiences in Ukraine
27 January 2026 at 14:30 CET
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, emergency communication systems have had to adapt rapidly to ensure that critical information reaches persons with disabilities. Wartime conditions have highlighted both progress and persistent gaps in making emergency warnings and public information accessible. This webinar will explore the improvements introduced in Ukraine to enhance disability accessibility in emergency communications since early 2022, while also examining the challenges that remain. Drawing on real-world experience, the session will offer insights for public authorities and emergency services working to strengthen inclusive emergency communication and preparedness.
Understanding the Digital Networks Act: the new EU regulation on 112
29 January 2026 at 16:00 CET
On 20 January, the European Commission is expected to release a proposal for a new legislation on telecommunications in Europe: the Digital Networks Act. Once adopted, this legislation will replace the European Electronic Communications Code as the main legislation in the European Union on emergency communications. In this webinar, we will explain the provisions in the proposal from the European Commission and how these may affect the future of emergency communications in Europe. We will also detail EENA’s position on the proposal and the next steps towards the adoption of the text.
Are you interested in sharing your expertise in an EENA webinar? You can contact Sanna Antila at [email protected] to suggest topics you’d like to speak on in our upcoming webinars.
Projects
Survey on the public needs on preparedness and awareness across Europe
Help us understand public needs on preparedness and awareness across Europe by taking a short survey! The survey is available in multiple languages and is conducted within the frame of ARTEMis (AleRT and impact-forecast standards for Emergency Management), an EU-funded research project that aims to promote harmonised, standardised protocols, tools and procedures for emergency management and risk awareness at the pan-European level (GA 101225852).
Your participation will help us better understand the current landscape of disaster preparedness, how communities receive information, how they prepare for potential hazards and what perceptions they hold about innovations, as well as the types of training or support that would be most useful.
The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete and is anonymous, unless you provide your email address for updates and further research, at the last question (optional). The responses will be used for the preparation of a report on technology convergence, experimentation challenges and societal gaps.
Regulation and legislation news
Union Civil Protection Mechanism: 2028–2034 programming period
The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) has published a briefing on the European Commission’s proposal to update the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) for the 2028–2034 EU budget period. The document outlines how the Commission wants to strengthen EU crisis management in response to increasingly complex risks, from wildfires and floods to hybrid threats and serious cross-border health emergencies, through a more integrated “all-hazards” approach.
EENA is also referenced in the EPRS briefing as the only non-institutional organisation cited: the report notes EENA’s support for the proposed budget increase while stressing that EU funding should complement (not replace) national investment, and it highlights EENA’s call for stronger EU investment in emergency communications, including public warning, given their role in preparedness and crisis guidance.
Emergency communications around the world
Armenia to launch unified 112 emergency number in February
Armenia will launch a new unified 112 emergency telephone number on 15 February, bringing Police and Rescue Service calls under one contact point. The Ministry of Internal Affairs says the change will speed up and improve coordination of emergency responses by enabling simultaneous dispatch, reducing response times, and strengthening public safety.
FR-Alert bug sends outdated warnings days after Storm Goretti
France’s FR-Alert public warning system has been affected by a technical bug that continued to send alerts several days after Storm Goretti, particularly in western France. Regional authorities said the repeated messages were an “abnormal repetition” caused by a malfunction, which has been identified and is being addressed at the national level, with a fix promised as soon as possible. Some users reported being woken at night by the loud alert tone; officials noted alerts can be manually disabled, though doing so is not recommended given the system’s role in emergencies.
Utilities in Germany call for national crisis reserve after Berlin blackout
German municipal utilities are calling for a national crisis reserve of mobile generators and heating systems after an arson attack caused a major power outage in Berlin. The attack on 3 January damaged high-voltage cables near a combined heat and power station, cutting electricity to tens of thousands of households and thousands of businesses for several days. Utilities’ association VKU says a centrally organised reserve could be deployed to restore supply within 24 hours, including temporary “island grids”. Industry group BDEW also urges legal changes to better protect critical infrastructure, including revisiting transparency obligations and improving coordination between authorities and operators.
Read more here (Clean Energy Wire).
Belgium trials language selection for 112 calls in some cities
In Belgium, people calling 112 in the provinces of Limburg and Namur will now first be asked to choose a language, as part of a pilot to reduce language barriers in emergencies. Callers can select Dutch, French or German, after which they are routed to the corresponding emergency centre (including Flemish centres, Wallonia, or Liège). The Ministry of Home Affairs says dispatchers also use translation software so instructions to responders are delivered in the language used by the local station. The language menu applies only to 112 and does not affect calls to the police via 101.
Read more here (Brussels Times).
Ukraine’s emergency number now taking reports of outages and heating support
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko says the 112 line is now also receiving reports from residents about lack of heat, water and electricity. Additional operators have been deployed to handle both emergency calls and outage-related messages, with information passed directly to the relevant coordination centers and commissions to organise assistance quickly. Operators can also advise on the nearest “point of invulnerability”/heating point and, if needed, dispatch emergency services. Klymenko added that people can still contact 112 even without mobile service by using Wi-Fi and the 112 Ukraine app.