On 11 February 2014, the IMCO Committee voted on eCall and definitively placed the legislation on its way to saving 2,500 lives per year in Europe. The vote also secured a clear mandate for the Commission to start work on the technical requirements for an open-access, secure and standardised telematics platform. 

“Mandating eCall in all vehicles is not only a tremendous step forward for safety, it also has the potential to launch connected car technologies,” said Jacob Bangsgaard, FIA Region I Director General. He continued, “We are greatly encouraged by the farsighted decision to insist upon open, secure and standardised telematics platforms. However, the work is not done yet. From now, we must ensure that consumers will have a free choice of service providers, with informed consent and full protection of their data. Consumers will best benefit from connected cars when there are a variety of service providers competing in an open marketplace with fair competition.” 

The FIA strongly welcomes the IMCO’s wording that has guaranteed the inclusion of all stakeholders in the debate. By allowing third party service providers from the very beginning, the legislation will help guarantee fair competition and that independent operators can propose applications in a similar timeframe with vehicle manufacturers. Equally as important, there will be no further delay to implementation for the 112 eCall functionality, which will greatly benefit road safety. The Council must now keep the momentum for this legislation to be effectively protecting road users by 2015.

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Region I office
FIA Region I represents 112 Touring and Motoring Clubs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa from its Brussels office, which total more than 38 million members. The FIA represents the interest of these members as motorists, public transport users, pedestrians and tourists. The FIA’s primary goal is to secure a mobility that is safe, affordable, sustainable and efficient. With these aims in mind, our work focuses on Road Safety, Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection, and the promotion of Sustainable Motoring. 

Contact 

Andrea Campbell
Communications Manager, FIA Region I
acampbell@fia.com 
+32 2 282 0813