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European Parliament and Danish Presidency agree on lower roaming prices



This week, the Danish Presidency of the Council of Ministers has agreed to a proposal by Members of the EU Parliament to lower roaming price caps. The deal has still to be approved by the plenary of the European Parliament in May. If approved, the new rules would provide for cheaper prices for phone calls, SMS and in particular for data roaming as of July 2012.



According to Parliament’s rapporteur Angelika Niebler (EPP), the new price caps would “ensure a sufficient margin between wholesale and retail prices to assure a level of competition that will enable new players to enter the market”. MEPs highlight as well that the agreement increases transparency and consumer protection for EU citizens when using their mobile devices abroad.



According to the agreement between MEPs and Council, by 2014 prices for data roaming would be lowered to 20 cents per megabyte, roaming calls would cost a maximum of 19 cents per minute and SMS 6 cents. The rules provide for a continuous lowering of price caps from 2012 to 2014. With this proposal, the Parliament follows the Commission’s line set out in the Digital Agenda to bring roaming prices down to domestic prices by 2015.



More information can be found on the EP website:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pressroom/content/20120326IPR41842/html/Mobile-roaming-MEPs-win-deal-with-Council-to-lower-price-caps