The current Roaming Regulation (531/2012/EU) expires on 30 June 2022. Following provisional agreement in December 2021 between Parliament and the Council on updated roaming rules to ensure that people can continue to make calls, text and browse the web while travelling in other EU countries, the European Parliament last week formally adopted the revised text.

The Council has also now approved the extension of the “Roam Like at Home” scheme, which will run for another ten years. The legislation means that consumers will continue to be able to use their mobile phones when travelling abroad in the EU with no additional fees on top of what they already pay at home.

The Council explains that the revised Regulation adjusts maximum wholesale prices to ensure that providing retail roaming services at domestic prices is sustainable for operators throughout the EU. It increases transparency for services that may be subject to extra cost and will also protect customers from bill shocks resulting from inadvertent roaming on non-terrestrial mobile networks when on ferries or aeroplanes.

Designed to prevent permanent roaming, the fair use policy will stay in place. The Commission may suggest changes to it after a thorough analysis of the market and due assessment of potential impacts.

The revised Regulation also includes measures to ensure good customer experience in terms of quality of service and access to emergency services, including for people with special needs.

The Council says that the Commission will monitor the situation and, if necessary, present a new legislative proposal to regulate wholesale price caps and possibly other aspects of the roaming market.

The revised Regulation will now be published in the Official Journal and enter into force on 1 July 2022. To read the Council’s press release in full and for a link to the revised Regulation, click here.