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Roaming Charges Proposal for a Regulation in the EU

Business travellers may be interested to learn that Commissioner Vivien Reding of the EU Commission, who is responsible for the information society and media, has started to tackle the high prices charged for consumers who have to pay for their mobile phones when abroad, i.e international roaming charges for mobile phones.
The Commission specifically wants to target three types of roaming calls:
1 calling home from the visited country
2 making national calls within the visited country and
3 calling a third country.

Commissioner Reding wants to introduce the European Home Market Principle on the basis of which the prices paid for international calls, within the EU, are not unjustifiably higher than the charges when calling within their home country.

Whilst this proposal will no doubt help business in Europe, it is by no means accepted by other Commissioners such as Mr Guenter Verheugen (EU Enlargement Commissioner) and Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, who vigorously oppose the proposal since, according to them, it will hamper the competitiveness of Europe.

Margot Parker, Head of European Communications and Legislation for EPPA (European Promotional Products Association), totally agrees with Commissioner Reding and believes that unreasonable high roaming charges are not only bad for consumers but are obstructive to companies trying to do business throughout Europe.

Note: this is still a Proposal at the moment and still has to be communicated to the EU Parliament and the Council before it can start the legislative procedure.

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