Europe - EC on automatic further reduction in roaming charges

Roaming prices: Calling home becomes cheaper again – but not (yet) texting across borders

On 30 August, it will become cheaper to make or receive calls while travelling in the EU. The price ceiling for roaming calls (the Eurotariff) introduced by the EU in 2007 will fall from €0.49 to €0.46 per minute (excluding VAT) for making a call and from €0.24 to €0.22 per minute (excluding VAT) for receiving a call while in another EU country. These price reductions are the result of the EU Roaming Regulation, proposed by the European Commission in 2006 to curb the excessive roaming charges consumers had to pay for roaming calls (on average €1.15 per minute at the time). The EU Roaming Regulation which will expire in 2010, is currently under review. Following the specific request of the European Parliament the Commission must propose by the end of 2008 whether to extend the Regulation in time and in scope. Figures published by national telecoms regulators this summer have shown that prices for roaming text messages and data services remain unjustifiably high.