Consultation at the request of the Minister of Telecommunications regarding the preliminary draft Royal Decree amending the Royal Decree of 2 February 2007 on the emergency services to extend its application to hotlines and services combating violence

This consultation concerns the attached preliminary draft Royal Decree, the purpose of which is to amend the Royal Decree of 2 February 2007 on the emergency services pursuant to Article 107, § 1 and 3, of the Act of 13 June 2005 on electronic communications, and pertaining to various provisions regarding electronic communications for the emergency services.

The preliminary draft Royal Decree aims at extending the list of emergency services providing remote help in order to include several hotlines and services combating violence. An upsurge of violence, in particular gender-based and domestic violence as well as intimate partner violence, has been observed over the past two years.

By adding to the traditional emergency numbers the 0800 30 030 and 0800 98 100 (French-speaking Belgium) as well as 1712 (Dutch-speaking Belgium) numbers used to reach “violence” hotlines, the preliminary draft Decree aims at creating an additional tool to prevent violence, in particular domestic violence, which can lead to an efficient assistance for the victims and their relatives and friends as well as for professionals and perpetrators of violence. The draft Report to the King attached to this consultation contains further explanations on this matter.