A significant milestone for PEMEA and emergency communications in Europe
The PEMEA Consortium welcomes the publication of ETSI EN 303 919 V1.1.1 (2026-09), “Accessibility and Interoperability of Emergency Communications”, the new Harmonised European Standard developed by ETSI TC EMTEL in support of the accessibility requirements arising from the European Accessibility Act.
Its publication marks an important milestone for the European emergency communications ecosystem and, in particular, for the role of PEMEA – Pan-European Mobile Emergency Application in enabling accessible, interoperable and cross-border access to emergency services.
PEMEA explicitly recognised within the European standards framework
The new standard explicitly addresses the use of ETSI TS 103 479 together with PEMEA and identifies the PEMEA specifications defined in ETSI TS 103 478 as a complementary method for establishing emergency communications alongside IMS and SIP technologies.
This recognition is particularly significant because the standard references the PEMEA ecosystem for capabilities including multimedia emergency communications, emergency contextual information, Real-Time Text (RTT), audio and video communications, service discovery and integration with ETSI interfaces for Next Generation emergency communications.
The standard therefore reinforces the role that PEMEA can play in connecting mobile applications and digital services with emergency communications systems and Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), while maintaining interoperability across different technologies and geographical areas.
Towards accessible and cross-border emergency communications
Accessibility is increasingly becoming an integral part of the transition towards Next Generation 112 (NG112).
ETSI EN 303 919 covers key capabilities such as audio, video, Real-Time Text and Total Conversation, as well as routing, location and other elements required to ensure that emergency communications can be accessible and interoperable throughout the communications chain.
For the PEMEA Consortium, the inclusion of PEMEA within this European framework represents an important step towards our shared vision:
Accessible, interoperable and cross-border emergency communications for every citizen in Europe.
It also reinforces the importance of open standards and interoperability in allowing citizens to communicate with emergency services through increasingly diverse digital channels, including when travelling beyond their home region or country.
The PEMEA Consortium also recognises the valuable contribution of EENA – European Emergency Number Association and the continued standardisation work of ETSI TC EMTEL in advancing the European NG112 ecosystem.
Further information
PEMEA Consortium – Technical documentation
