Harmonised service of social value

A harmonised service of social value is a type of freephone service available in the European Union, which answers a specific social need, in particular which contributes to the well-being or safety of citizens, or particular groups of citizens, or helps citizens in difficulty. The phone numbers and the corresponding service descriptions are managed by the European Commission and harmonised across all EU member states. Harmonised services of social value use the prefix 116, which is then followed by exactly three digits indicating the type of service.

After the commission has assigned a number, it is then up to the telephone regulator in each country (such as Ofcom in the United Kingdom) to allocate the number to a telephone service provider and providing organisation of their choice. The first telephone numbers to be allocated are 116000 (missing children helplines), 116111 (child help lines) and 116123 (emotional support helplines).

As of March 2010, the following numbers have been assigned by the Commission:

The number 116112 will not be used in order to avoid confusion with the single European emergency number 112. In addition, the number 116116 is in use in Germany (see below).

A reservation by the Commission obligates Member States to make the numbers available for registration by interested parties. However, the listing of a specific number and the associated harmonised service of social value does not carry an obligation for Member States to ensure that the service in question is provided within their territory.

Each service is now available in at least part of the EU. The 116117 medical assistance line is the least-widely implemented so far, having only been activated in Austria and Germany. By contrast, the 116000 missing children line is active in 27 countries and the 116111 child helpline is available in 22 countries.

In 2004, Germany's Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Postal Services (now Federal Network Agency) awarded the number 116116 to Sperr e.V., a non-profit organisation that would forward reports for lost credit and debit cards, SIM cards and key cards. This assignment predates the establishment of the Commission's registry.

...
Wikipedia