The Council says that the updated roaming rules will ensure that people can continue to make calls, text and browse the web while travelling in other EU countries, without the fear of a shock when they get their bill, after the current Roaming Regulation (531/2012/EU) expires on 30 June 2022.

The Council says that the revised Roaming Regulation adjusts the maximum wholesale prices to ensure that the provision of retail roaming services at domestic prices is sustainable for operators throughout the EU. The Commission will keep the situation under review and, if appropriate, will present a new legislative proposal to regulate the wholesale price caps and possibly other aspects of the roaming market.

The fair use policy, which is designed to prevent permanent roaming, will continue. The Commission may suggest changes to it after a thorough analysis of the market and a due assessment of the potential impact.

The revised Regulation also includes measures to ensure a good customer experience in terms of quality of service and access to emergency services, including for people with special needs. It increases transparency for services that may be subject to extra cost, and will also protect customers from bill shocks resulting from inadvertent roaming on non-terrestrial mobile networks when on ferries or aeroplanes.

The provisional agreement is subject to approval by the Council and the full European Parliament. The Slovenian presidency of the Council aims to submit the agreement to the Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) for endorsement on 15 December 2021. To read the Council’s press release in full, click here.