A new europium (III) complex, EuL3 phen, [HL = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(4'-m-terphenyl)-1,3-butanedione, phen = 1, 10-phenanthroline] was synthesized. Its structure was characterized by elemental analysis, IR and FAB-MS. The complex exhibits strongly red emission due to the 5D0-7F(J) (J = 0-4) transitions of Eu3+ ions under irradiation of UV or 395 nm emission light of InGaN chip. The strongest emission peak is located at 613 nm. The luminescence quantum yield is 13%. The lifetime of the complex is 470 micros. The decay curve can be fit with a single exponential. The thermogravimetric analyses curve for the complex shows that the complex is stable up to 220 degrees C, which meets the requirement of fabrication of LED device. A red luminescent LED was successfully fabricated by coating complex EuL3 phen onto 395 nm emitting InGaN chip. The mass ratio of complex to the silicone is related to the chromaticity coordinates and efficiency of fabricated LED. When the mass ratio of complex to the silicone is 1 : 25, the chromaticity coordinates of the fabricated LED with the europium complex are x = 0.64 and y = 0.35 and the efficiency achieves 0.89 lm x W(-1). The results indicate that the complex may act as a potential red component in the fabrication of white LEDs.