Bulgaria and Romania, the last laggards, have now set up the 112 system for both mobile and fixed telephone lines.

That completes the system's coverage, and disciplinary procedures against the EU's two newest members is being dropped, the European Commission announced.

The system is especially aimed at people travelling in Europe, though there is no guarantee that the person on the other end of the line will speak their language.

The 112 system working everywhere in the EU "is a nice present to all Europeans, and the timing is perfect: during the holiday season of hectic travel people will spend a lot of time in other EU countries," said EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding.

"From now on I expect 112 to be an essential travel companion for holiday makers in every corner of the EU," she added.

The European emergency number 112 was introduced back in 1991 to complement national emergency numbers.

Since 1998, EU rules require member states to ensure that all fixed and mobile phone users can call 112 free of charge.

Most EU nations have so far kept their separate emergency systems, though Denmark and the Netherlands now use only the 112 number.

EU commission spokesperson Martin Selmayr said that while there was no obligation for the European emergency call system to be available in several languages in any given member state, there is a requirement for an "efficient service".

"If an Englishman goes to Italy and has an accident and calls 112 and says 'help, help' and they don't understand then that would not be seen as an efficient service," he said.

Already 17 of the 27 member states can normally handle calls in English, including France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Spain, but not Italy.

Seven countries said they could handle calls in the language of a bordering member state and several nations have special arrangements such as forwarding emergency calls elsewhere or to interpretation services.

AFP