Cheaper roaming starting this summer

Cheaper roaming starting this summer

This year again, starting 1st of July, it will be cheaper to give and receive a call abroad. This is a consequence of EU legislation (Roaming II regulation) adopted in 2009, foreseeing a consecutive decrease of roaming prices up to 2011. As of 1st of July, the ceiling for voice calls will be lowered for the third consecutive year down to €0.35 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.11 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming.

Adina Valean (PNL, Romania), who was European Parliament rapporteur on this dossier, welcomes the new Eurotariffs: „As a Liberal, I would prefer not to intervene in markets or by setting price caps. However, I also believe in a borderless Europe where the rights concerning the free movement of persons and goods are ensured”.

Now that the regulation is soon coming to an end in June 2012 and the European Commission is due to review it, Adina Valean is looking forward to the new Commission proposals to be made in the coming weeks. ”I hope the Commission will propose structural solutions to tackle the underlying structural problem of roaming. My view is that we should be aiming at a solution that would bring prices close to national prices, adding possibly a flat tax”, she declared.

In 2009, Adina Valean succeeded in reaching an agreement with the Council to progressively reduce voice, sms and data tariffs for consumers travelling within the EU. Starting in 2009 with €0.43 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing calls and €0.19 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming, the prices will now be capped to a maximum. A text message (SMS) now costs a maximum of €0.11 (excluding VAT), which means a reduced cost by 60%. At the same time, data roaming is reduced from €1 to 80 cents per MegaByte.