December 19, 2016

On 12 December 2016, representatives of Member States my to vote on the text of draft legislation to bring roaming charges to an end on 15 June 2017.

Commissioners Andrus Ansip and Günther H. Oettinger then published a joint statement saying:

“Today’s vote by Member States’ Representatives allows us to formally adopt our proposal on fair use policy and the associated sustainability mechanism in line with our legal obligation to meet the deadline of 15 December. This is an important step towards the end of roaming charges on 15 June 2017”.

Both Commissioners said that they were “convinced that our proposal strikes the right balance and bridges very different, often opposite views”, putting an end to extra charges while EU citizens are using their mobile phones in Europe, but at the same time ensuring that “the most competitive domestic offers remain attractive”.

The statement continues: “However our work does not stop here. To definitively consign roaming charges to history, we now have to focus our efforts on the proposal on wholesale prices operators charge each other while consumers use their mobile phones abroad”. To this effect, the statement says, the Commission has already started negotiating with the European Parliament and with Member States. To reach this last milestone, the Commissioners say that the Commission will “continue to play its role of honest broker to help find a final agreement as soon as possible. There is no time to waste”. To read the statement in full, click here.