PRESS STATEMENT - 29.11.2016

Members of the European Parliament’s industry committee voted to bring down the charges phone operators have to pay each other if their customers use a foreign network. The reform of these so-called wholesale roaming fees is a pre-condition for the abolition of retail fees, which is what consumers pay, to happen in June next year.

Monique Goyens, Director General of The European Consumer Organisation commented:

“Consumers expect to use their phone abroad in the same way they do at home and without having to face extra costs. This should be daily routine in a digital single market.

“We welcome that the European Parliament is making ambitious cuts to these network charges. Anything else would scupper the promised end of roaming fees in 2017.

“Now that MEPs have paved the way to end roaming fees in the EU, Member State governments must follow suit. Unfortunately, for the moment, they seem to be more preoccupied with defending their telecom giants’ short term interests rather than consumers.”