Agreement on roaming calls at no extra cost within EU extended until 2032
The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have agreed to extend roaming across the European Union until 2032, meaning that consumers will be able to use the internet, make calls and send text messages at no extra cost.
The European Parliament has recently adopted the new rules that extend the right for EU citizens to make mobile calls at their domestic rates when they travel to another EU member state for another 10 years.
Thanks to the work of the S&D Group and MEP Alex Agius Saliba, Europeans can no longer be punished with lower quality of service and higher charges just because they travel within the EU and stay in another member state. The new rules will enter into force this summer.
MEP Agius Saliba, the political group negotiator for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, commented that abolishing roaming is one of citizens' most widely recognised EU successes.
"It is excellent news that the roaming rules will continue for another 10 years, providing people with a better roaming experience and quality of service. It is important that we not only managed to extend the rules during the negotiations but also managed to remove existing barriers and discriminatory practices," said the MEP.
Agius Saliba also stressed that people would be guaranteed the same quality when roaming as at home and will get better protection against bill shocks caused by connecting to a non-EU mobile or satellite network.
"I am glad that we also managed to improve transparency and secure free access to emergency services, including for people with disabilities. People will no longer be punished with excessive bills and lower quality of services. Mobile users cannot be charged extra for texts, calls and the internet throughout the EU's 27 member states. I am also glad to see that people will also enjoy other benefits with the new rules,” said Agius Saliba.