The phone numbers and the corresponding service descriptions are managed by the European Commission and harmonised across all EU and EEA member states.

A reservation by the commission obligates member states to make the numbers available for registration by interested parties.

The 116 117 medical assistance line is the least-widely implemented so far, having only been activated in Austria, Germany, and former EU-member Great Britain.

Emergency Alert Australia is a system that can send text messages or voice recordings to mobile phones and landlines in a specific geographic area to warn the public in that area of an emergency situation, such as bushfires, floods, etc.

The system is also used in NSW for people to look out for high risk missing persons, such as the elderly, or those with mental health problems.