The updated legislation, a follow-up to the 2017 elimination of roaming fees, also makes amendments for better roaming services for travellers. According to the text adopted by MEPs, consumers would continue to enjoy the ability to use their mobile phones when travelling abroad in the EU with no additional fees on top of what they already pay at home.

In addition, they would be entitled to the same quality and speed of mobile connection abroad as at home. Roaming providers would be obliged to offer roaming conditions equal to those offered domestically, if the same technologies and conditions are available on the network in the country people are visiting. MEPs want to prohibit commercial practices reducing the quality of services of regulated retail roaming services (e.g. by switching the connection from 4G to 3G).

Further, access to emergency services would be provided to travellers without any additional charge, whether by call or SMS, including the transmission of caller location information. Operators would also have to provide information to roaming users about the European emergency number 112. MEPs also want people with disabilities to be able to access to emergency services without additional charges.

MEPs also proposed ending surcharges for intra-EU calls (e.g. when calling from Belgium to Italy), which are currently capped at 19 cents per minute. Users would pay only the extra costs objectively justified by the provider.

The new rules will need to be agreed by Parliament and Council before they can enter into force. To read the European Parliament’s press release in full, click here.