I have voted with enthusiasm in favour an excellent parliamentary initiative by my colleague Gary Titley. It proposes a pan-European automatic emergency call system. In the event of a road accident, the "eCall" device in the vehicle will automatically dial the nearest emergency call centre, also providing information on the precise location of the accident. This will result in a dramatic reduction in rescue time and make it possible to treat more injuries in the crucial 'golden hour' following the accident.

The advantage of this system is not only that it will help save lives but also that it will reduce congestion time and contribute to the efficiency of road transportation in Europe with a reduction of external costs.

It is an excellent example of the advantages of action at EU level, complementing the common emergency telephone number (112) which I was involved in suggesting when I was a junior civil servant many years ago.