EU: Update of eCall to 4G and 5G networks

 

The EU Commission has published a Draft delegated regulation regarding updated standards for in-vehicle emergency call systems (eCall).

All new passenger cars and vans are equipped with eCall. This is the system that automatically makes a free 112 emergency call if your vehicle is involved in a serious road accident.

Currently, eCall works over 2G and 3G networks. Given that these networks are to be switched off in the years to come, this initiative updates standards for the transition of eCall to 4G and 5G networks.

Following the enactment of Regulation (EU) 2015/758, the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) has adopted updated versions of standards such as EN 15722, EN 16072, and EN 16454, which pertain to intelligent transport systems and eSafety, specifically the minimum set of data (MSD), Pan-European eCall operating requirements, and eCall end-to-end conformance testing, respectively. Consequently, it is imperative to amend the regulation to include references to these revised standards.

Two relevant European standards, EN 16062 and EN 16454, are built on the foundation of eCall functioning over circuit-switched networks (2G/3G). Due to the planned phasing out of 2G/3G networks by mobile network operators between 2025 and 2030 across all Member States, an urgent adaptation of emergency call in-vehicle systems to the latest packet-switched communication networks (4G/5G) is necessary. CEN has recently adopted two new eCall-related technical specifications based on packet-switched networks, necessitating an amendment to Regulation (EU) 2015/758 to include references to these standards.

To afford Member States, national authorities, and economic operators ample time for the implementation of eCall in-vehicle systems based on packet-switched standards, the application date of these standards needs to be postponed.

Ensuring the continued functionality of eCall in-vehicle systems approved after the application date of Regulation (EU) 2015/758, fitted into new vehicles, becomes crucial after the complete shutdown of circuit-switched networks in all Member States. Therefore, starting from January 1, 2027, certificates of conformity for such new vehicles should not be considered valid under Article 48(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/858, and these vehicles should not be registered or deployed into services unless they comply with the technical specifications for packet-switched eCall as outlined in this Regulation.

The full text of the draft is available HERE.

To find out more about vehicle regulations and vehicle compliance in the EU, please contact the Institute for Global Automotive Regulatory Research directly.