The European Commission (EC) has decided Thursday to postpone by three months the initiation of legal proceedings against Bulgaria before the Court of Justice of the European Communities in Luxembourg, over the 112 emergency hot line.

The EC has also postponed the trail against Romania over the same problem with the 112 number.

"Despite the efforts made by Bulgaria and Romania, we cannot afford to jeopardize the lives and the health of European citizens and visitors. I appeal to Bulgaria and Romania to quickly finish the remaining tasks so that the phone line becomes fully available on their territory," stated Viviane Reding, Commissioner for information society and media at the EC.

The EC has prepared all necessary documents to start legal proceedings against Bulgaria and Romania before the Luxembourg Court. This step would become the third and final one in the penalty procedure already initiated by the EC against Bulgaria over the 112 phone line. The phone was supposed to become effective immediately after Bulgaria's joining of the EU in January of 2007.

The EC has decided to postpone the trial by three months because they have taken into consideration the efforts of both countries to make the emergency hot line fully available.

"Our goal is not to penalize countries members of the EU, but to make them finish the work that is required from them. If the two countries do not accomplish what is necessary, the trail in Luxembourg would be initiated automatically without the need to have a new decision of the EC," a Reding spokesperson stated Thursday.

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