NEWS
Following the creation of the 116000 Europe-wide freephone number for missing children, the European Commission is investigating what more can be done with such numbers across the continent.
Information society and media commissioner, Viviane Reding, said the EC is now considering future six-digit pan-European freephone numbers, to start with 116, including a helpline for children.
According to the EC, the 116 range of numbers will be reserved for services that "will help citizens in difficulty or contribute to their well-being or safety". The Commission is now holding a public consultation, asking for suggestions for possible uses of such numbers.
The EC will then decide which services to adopt and allow individual member states to allocate the numbers to appropriate organisations within the country.
The consultation will close on 20 May. Interested parties can find out more from the EC here.
