As a result of the development of the Telecoms Single Market package, European Parliament and the European Commission have agreed that the roaming charges in Europe will be abolished from 15 June 2017.
In the meantime as from 30 April 2016 roaming charges will drop substantially, as they will be subject to a cap of EUR 0.05 per minute for calls, EUR 0.05 per megabyte for mobile data and EUR 0.02 per SMS (all excusive of VAT), which will significantly reduce the costs of roaming by about 75% in comparison with current rates. The new rules will be subject to a fair use safeguard to prevent abuses such as ‘permanent roaming’.
The agreement represents a natural development of the single market for digital services in the European Union. Günther Oettinger, the German commissioner for the Digital Economy, has welcomed the agreement and stated that the end of roaming charges and implementation of net neutrality in the EU are essential for consumers and businesses.