The European Union has harmonised the telephone numbers of certain services of social value. The EU has a single European emergency number, 112. In addition, some services of general interest have been allocated the same 116 service numbers in all EU member states.
The pan-European 116 service numbers can only be used for the services defined by the European Commission.
So far, the Commission has defined service contents for the following numbers:
116 000 - Hotline for missing children
- offers guidance to and supports the persons responsible for the missing child;
- supports the investigation;
- takes calls reporting missing children;
- passes the information on to the police.
116 006 - Helpline for victims of crime
- enables victims of crime to get emotional support in such circumstances, to be informed about their rights and about ways to claim their rights, and to be referred to the relevant organisations;
- in particular, provides information about local police and criminal justice proceedings and possibilities of compensation and insurance matters;
- also provides support in finding other sources of help.
116 016 - Helpline for victims of violence against women
The service enables victims of violence against women to seek assistance and support, to be informed of their rights and of ways to claim their rights, and to be referred to the relevant organisations.
116 111 - Child helplines
- help children in need of care and protection;
- link them to services and resources;
- provide children with an opportunity to express their concerns and talk about issues directly affecting them;
- provide children with an opportunity to contact someone in an emergency situation.
116 117 - Non-emergency medical on-call service
- directs callers to the medical assistance appropriate to their needs, which are urgent but non-life-threatening;
- connects the caller to a skilled and supported call-handler or directly to a qualified medical practitioner or clinician.
116 123 - Emotional support helplines
- enable the caller to benefit from a genuine human relationship based on non-judgemental listening;
- offer emotional support to callers suffering from loneliness, in a state of psychological crisis, or contemplating suicide.
Numbers granted to Finnish service providers:
116 000 - Emergency Response Centre Agency Finland
116 006 - Mental Health Finland
116 016 - Finnish institute for health and welfare
116 111 - Mannerheim League for Child Welfare
116 117 - DigiFinland Oy
Calls to pan-European 116 service numbers
Calls to pan-European 116 service numbers are free of charge.
When calling a 116 number, dial only the number in question without the long-distance prefix 0, a carrier selection code or an area code.
The numbers are the same in all EU member states but in each country the calls are directed to national service providers.
For further information on 116 numbers and the related application process, please contact Traficom.
