Now consumers pay no more than 0,35 € to make a call, since this July the cap will be 0,29 €, next year 0,24 € and in July 2014 it won’t be more than 0,19 € (prices are without VAT). Members of the European Parliament and representatives of the Council and the European Commission have reached a preliminary deal on new EU Roaming rules. The European Parliament is expected to approve this agreement in May 2012 and the Council in June.

Except for lower prices, customers will have the option to shop around for the best deal and from  July 1, 2014, sign up for a separate mobile contract for roaming, which may be different from their domestic mobile provider, whilst keeping the same phone number.

Competitive data roaming offers will also be opened up by the new EU Roaming rules by introducing new ways of using your smartphone, netbook or tablet while travelling abroad. Consumers can select networks either in advance or on the spot. Mobile network operators in visited countries will have an incentive to offer such services at rates close to national prices, on the basis of their own low national network costs. The maximal roaming price per 1 MB download will progressively decline – nowadays there is no limit, but as from this July 1 it will be 0,70 €, next year 0,45 € and in 2014 maximum 20 cents (prices are without VAT).

Under the new rules, consumers will also receive information about roaming charges when they travel to countries outside the EU. As from 1st July 2012, people travelling outside the EU will get a warning text message, email or pop-up window when they are nearing €50 of data downloads, or their pre-agreed level. Consumers will have to confirm they are happy to go over this level in order to continue their data roaming.

We recommend consumers to ask their operator about their roaming conditions as operators are only obliged to offer at least one roaming tariff for making calls within the EU providing the provided maximal prices. However, roaming prices for other tariffs can differ.

Current and new retail price caps (excluding VAT)	Current	1 July 2012	1 July 2013	1 July 2014
Data (per MB)	None	70 cents	45 cents	20 cents
Voice-calls made (per minute)	35 cents	29 cents	24 cents	19 cents
Voice-calls received (per minute)	11 cents	8 cents	7 cents	5 cents
SMS (per SMS)	11 cents	9 cents	8 cents	6 cents

These new price levels have been based on new data about the industry cost of providing roaming services, provided by BEREC, the body of European telecoms regulators, in February of this year.

Other sources of additional information

Commission’s website on roaming: http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/roaming

Digital Agenda for Europe: http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda

Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC): http://berec.europa.eu