The full press releases are:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/e...-informal-deal

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release....htm?locale=en

So are Western Europeans going to get some cheap Romanian PAYG SIMs and roam in the rich countries?

No, if you read the Q&A, you will see "The rules prevent abusive uses: for example, if the customer buys a SIM card in another EU country where domestic prices are lower to use it at home; or if the customer permanently stays abroad with a domestic subscription of his home country. This is not the usual use of roaming as the vast majority of Europeans experience it. These unusual behaviours are also called 'permanent roaming' and could have a negative impact on domestic prices, and ultimately on consumers. This is why there is a fair use safeguard. Once that limit is reached while being abroad, a small basic fee can be charged. This will be much lower than current caps (maximum prices that operators can charge consumers for roaming in the EU) and is likely to decrease even further. The Commission has been mandated to define the details of the fair use limit."

The other thing is that a lot of PAYG products do not include 4G access either.

So if you get an Easter European SIM which only includes 2G and 3G on the home network, I would imagine you'd only get 2G and 3G roaming in a Western European country.

well, this happens even today. I know several of my friends who use their german BLAU or SIMYO payg in netherlands or in france permanently because they can call the whole EU for 9ct/min and have free inbound calls. Except internet usage this is in many cases much cheaper than using domestic cards. So far only one provider in germany has a clause that limits the time abroad and takes the right to charge higher rates if exceed - effectively also not enforcing this rule yet.

We have moved a giant step forward, but have not reached the goal yet.

1.) New roaming caps from May 2016
2ct per SMS and 5 ct per MB data (plus taxes). For data at least it's a huge advancement. We are right now at 0.20 € per MB effective at €0.23/MB and will go down to somewhere near €0.06/MB. That's still more than data in national packages, but often less than the domestic default rate of providers. SMS rates will be in fact mostly below domestic rates.

2.) "Abolition" of roaming charges in 2017?
This is still unclear. We may get rid of all roaming charges in 2017 but only under certain conditions. "Permanent" roaming will not be possible on the new tariff without roaming fees. But really getting rid of all roaming charges per definition necessarily means and enables "permanent" roaming.

So it's very much up to the fine print, the EU institutions have yet to agree on.
It's sad but true: new limits for the tariffs without roaming fees will probably be established, a kind of EU Fair Use Policy:
- either for a max. volume of minutes, SMS' or MBs anyone can use on that tariff
- or a max. period of time anyone can use his/her domestic rate on roaming (e.g. per year).

Data is sold at very different rates in the various EU countries. In Cyprus more than 20 times as much is charged compared to the Baltic states.
So there will be pressure to break these rules using SIM cards from another country permanently.
One way to break these rules/limts can possibly be a "rotating" system of e.g. different data SIM cards to be used on roaming.

The worst case for the EU consumer would be a very low allowance of "free" roaming volume (actually meaning roaming at the domestic rates) and everything consumed beyond will be charged much higher. In the negotiations a 100 MB limit was mentioned which is just a joke in these days. If the 2016 caps are maintained in 2017 and later, the surcharges will at least be limited lower.

So let's celebrate for 2016 and wait what is yet to come for 2017.

you missed that the 2ct/min or 5ct/MB is the surcharge to the national tariffs, not the end customer rate.

Hi dg7feq

I've just realized the same, but it's really hard to believe.
Up to now, we had caps, that the EU imposed on roaming.
For data in 2014/5 it is 20ct per MB plus tax.

In the new decision, they don't speak about caps but surcharges:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release...15-5275_en.htm

Quote: As from April 2016, prices will be even cheaper: operators will be able to charge a small additional amount to domestic prices up to €0.05 per minute of call made, €0.02 per SMS sent, and €0.05 per MB of data (excl. VAT).

If this is true, the reporting on most news wires was wrong: no new lower CAPS, but a limit to SURCHARGES for roaming.

But this absolutely backfires in many markets:
In Germany and some other markets domestic data for instance are sold at a very high default rate up to €0.24 per MB. That's sometimes even above the current roaming cap of €0.20 plus tax. If no new CAPS are to be introduced, but they are replaced by limits to SURCHARGES which will be limited to €0.05 per MB, they can even charge €0.30 per MB (€0.24 domestic rate + €0.06 surcharge) because it's always referred to the default data rate.
There is no obligation to offer packages. Furthermore, offering roaming packages can even become dangerous for the providers, as they may refer to a domestic package. Then as far as I understand the surcharge principle, data must not be more than 5ct/MB more expensive. But how do you calculate a surcharge limit, when you don't have a equal domestic package on offer? You can only use the default data rate of the provider.

I hope this is not going to be true!!!

Yes, most websites overlooked the smallprint and just copied the first few lines.
For the customer this can indeed be a sharp increase in pricing, especially for international calling within EU, which is currently also included in the capped pricing - but often very high in our domestic tariffs.

You have misunderstood. The network can charge you only €0.05+VAT per megabyte on top of what you usually pay. For example, if your network charges you €7 for 1GB, then any roaming usage still uses up your 1GB allowance but your network can surcharge you €0.05+VAT per megabyte on top of this.

Except for the €0.05/MB surcharge, if the network applies a different price for roaming from the price for domestic usage (and a different price includes non-application of bundles and allowances), then it would be in breach of the new regulations. The regulations make no distinction between bundled charges and incremental charges; they are both enforceable as domestic charges when roaming.

@NFH
You may be right in theory. But most packages for "domestic" use that are offered in each EU country are valid within the own country only. Right now, there are very few "roaming" packages on the market. Still, a provider selling 1 GB for €10 domestic can go up to around €70 (10€ plus 1000*0.05ct plus tax) for the same roaming package.

I don't see any policy enforced on the provider that the same domestic package is required to be offered on EU roaming too (possibly with a surcharge of up to 5ct/MB plus tax). But your statement implies that I can use my domestic package allowance abroad too, which is mostly not true up to know. Have I missed a planned regulation, that providers are required to open their "domestic" package allowance to EU roaming?

Often a default rate per MB is the only rate offered for EU roaming. Only very few providers actually sell "roaming packages".
The DOMESTIC default rate for data can be as low as 1p per MB on Three UK, but is e.g. 24ct per MB on many European providers. This rate is absurdly high in some countries to force users into bundles.

So for EU roaming on default rate, Three UK will be only allowed to charge around 6p/MB (1p domestic + max. 5p surcharge), but many EU providers can go up to 30c/MB (24ct/MB default rate plus max. 6ct surcharge). This obviously adds up to higher prices than the current EU cap of around 23ct/MB with some providers. This new legislation can easily be circumvented by not offering "roaming packages" (or not opening their "domestic" packages to roaming), so every customer has to stay on the high default rate.

dg7feq showed the other big trap of the planned regulation: interntl. EU call charges, now capped at 0.19ct/min plus taxes on EU roaming (when calling from abroad). Normally, calling from your own country they are charged very high with many providers at €1/min or more for international calls. If we get rid of the cap and will replace it by a limits to surcharges scheme, a provider will be allowed to charge €1.06/min or more for intertl. calls which used to be capped at 0.19ct (on roaming).

Yes. See http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release...15-5275_en.htm

"As from April 2016, prices will be even cheaper: operators will be able to charge a small additional amount to domestic prices up to €0.05 per minute of call made, €0.02 per SMS sent, and €0.05 per MB of data (excl. VAT)."

Domestic prices include bundles, packages and allowances. It makes no difference how a network structures its domestic prices. Its domestic prices must apply when roaming from April 2016, subject to these small surcharges.

One UK mvno already abolished roaming charges in Europe for this summer.

Going by some of the wording published so far about the new arrangement, they could put prices up for a year or more if they decide that this year's promotion only turns up an average result.

5 pence a megabyte now, 8 or 9 pence next year?

Sure it does make a huge difference how domestic prices and portfolio are structured because the EU gets rid of general price caps and introduces limited surcharges to the domestic tariffs for EU roaming. Then its up to the domestic pricing structure of each operator how much they charge for roaming.

Do you read from the article mentioned above that the same domestic bundle is required to be offered on roaming too (with the applicable surchage) or that "domestic" bundle volume can be used abroad in the EU?
For instance: provider A offers 500 MB "for domestic use only" at a certain price. Do you really think this given legislation forces this provider to offer the same package plus surcharge for roaming??? Or the domestic bundle needs to be opened up for EU roaming??? I really can't read that from the given EU press statement. Can a provider really be forced to roam by this legislation? Or can't they keep on selling bundles which are valid on their own networks only like today?

Now one is for sure, everybody offers a default rate, when no bundle is bought or for overuse. Getting rid of the 0.23€ per MB cap means that some providers may charge their domestic default rate at 0.24€/MB plus a 0.06€/MB surcharge they are allowed to impose for roaming in 2016. I can't see how "prices will be even cheaper" based on this regulation.

@wolfbln, stop differentiating between incremental charges and bundles/allowances/packages. They are each treated the exactly same, in that both are domestic prices.

For example, a network might charge €10 for 1GB or it might charge €0.01 for 1MB. It makes no difference whether the network sells domestic usage in 1GB increments or 1MB increments. The principle is the same in that these domestic prices must be applied when roaming, subject to the small surcharges listed above.

The Q&A gives no exemption to bundles/allowances/packages. In fact, it even says with respect to usage after 15/06/2017 "For instance, if you pay for a monthly volume of minutes, SMS and data in your country, any voice call, SMS and data session you make while travelling abroad in the EU will be deducted from that volume as if you were at home, with no extra charges." After defining this principle, it then goes on to say "As from April 2016, prices will be even cheaper: operators will be able to charge a small additional amount to domestic prices up to €0.05 per minute of call made, €0.02 per SMS sent, and €0.05 per MB of data (excl. VAT)." This could not be clearer.

@NFH

I'm totally aware that incremental charges and bundles/allowances/packages are all domestic prices (on which these surcharges can be applied).

The wording: operators will be able to charge a small additional amount to domestic prices does mean for me, that they are allowed to add a limited surcharge, if they offer their product (bundle, combined package, default rate... whatever) on roaming.

But does this necessarily imply that all "domestic" bundles of any given EU operator are required to be offered on EU roaming too? Or can't a operator decide which product is only offered on the home network and which one on EU roaming too?
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I think we can't solve that right now. Let's wait until we get the final draft. But we shouldn't mix up the legislation effective May 2016 and following regulation starting in 2017 going much further. They are two different cups of tea. But the question remains the same in 2017: Are operators required by law to offer their whole portfolio of products on roaming as well? And not just certain tariffs?

An operator cannot pick and choose which of its domestic prices apply when roaming. It is clear that you will be able to "use your mobile device when travelling in the EU paying the same prices as at home (domestic prices)". Nothing in the press release or Q&A allows operators to pick and choose which domestic prices to apply to roaming. Based on what you are suggesting, an operator could choose to charge €100 per MB on one of its many domestic tariffs, and say that only this price applies when roaming. It would make no sense and would be contrary to the spirit of the new rules. I'm not sure where you got this concept from.

Actually they're very similar. The only difference between 30/04/2016-14/06/2017 and post-15/06/2017 is that in the former period operators will be allowed to add small roaming surcharges.

Why shouldn't they be obliged to apply the current domestic price of the subscriber plus a surcharge while roaming? For a subscriber the domestic price is the one that the customer booked. Either per MB or a package.

A surcharge alone would be enough to cover the cost. Over 60 EUR per GB only for the surcharge is more than what you pay in any EU country buying a local SIM. The operators in Slovenia today in many domestic packages include 1 GB data plus unlimited calls in EEA-Roaming for 10 EUR per month (only those months when roaming is used). They certainly do not make losses with these offers, so the price level between the operators must already be very low.

I see the change to surcharge as a measure that will benefit operators with high domestic prices and will penalize those with low domestic prices. An operator from a country with high price level will charge a high price to its customer and pay low price to an operator in a low price level country. Higher profit than until now. An operator from a country with low price level will charge a low price to its customer and pay high price to an operator in a high price level country. Less income than until now. This encourages the operators to maintain or migrate towards high prices.

Probably the existing better roaming offers will not be canceled because of that. Although we are only talking about a regulation valid for about one year (from 2016 to 2017), I see this new regulation more like a preparation for what we can expect after 2017. Probably some time intervals will be specified (e.g. max. 20 days per year) during which the surcharges will be dropped completelly, using the domestic rate booked at that moment also while roaming. For the rest of the time, the surcharges will continue to be charged.

I agree, although I can't see this being calculated on an annual basis because it's so easy to port one's number many times throughout the year and reset the the fair usage counter. The fair usage policy will equally have to cater for a typical annual 2-week holiday. I believe the fair usage policy will not be defined by time but by consumption. Nevertheless it's going to be very hard to create fair usage policies that will work, which is probably why we haven't yet seen any mention of what they might be.

I think that a "typical holiday" does not exist.

You will find a group of people that do not want to see a phone during a holiday except for emergency use.

Another group where during the holiday the usage of mobile phone/data is much higher than at home. Simply because one does not know the place and needs navigation, translation and information services. Also there is time available and a need to keep in touch with home (friends/family, social networks, news, entertainment). Home allowances where one tends to use WiFi at home and/or work and knows to minimize data use when no WiFi is available, are much too low for holiday use.

Next group of people that live close to the border and cross it weekly or daily.

Those that do not leave the country at all.

I am sure, each of them are millions of people. Whatever rule they will establish, there will be large groups that will not be covered. Or if they make it too generous (which I doubt), it would be easy to overcome it, porting the number after certain time (or usage) to another provider.

That's the best example of all. The fair usage policy is supposed to prevent abuse and to encourage consumers to have their mobile service based in their country of residence. People in border areas will be very hard to accommodate in the FUP, yet these are one of the groups that the European Commission wants to protect.

Like the entire country of Belgium?

Not at all. More than 99% of Belgium is not in a border area capable of receiving a signal from a neighbouring country. The smallest EEA country is Liechtenstein, which might be a better example. However, it has mountains between itself and Austria, the next EEA country. Its flat and open border is with Switzerland, a non-EEA country. Remember that EU roaming regulations apply throughout the EEA, not only to the EU. Gibraltar is another good example, which is part of the EU (and EEA).

but to its size and geographical position you tend to be in roaming more often than a typical french or spanish mobile user.

Pure mathematics: the smaller the country, more of its area (in percentage) is close to the border ;)

When there is a city close to the border (Strasbourg, Frankfurt/Oder Salzburg, Bodensee area, Badajoz,...) the amount of people that are often crossing the border and suffer from roaming prices is very high.

It's not as simple as that. It depends on the shape of the country and the length of its coastline. Look at Denmark for example. The inadvertent cross-border roaming issue is also affected by mountains. Many countries' borders are formed by mountains. It's definitely not down to maths but a whole range of factors. Belgium is not a good example. Luxembourg is a much better example.

Coming back to the main issue. We should be aware, that we ALL, not only people in boarder areas, may win or lose because of the new policy depending on where we call to.

We still have to wait for the fineprint, but one thing seems to be clear: The EU shifts from a system of price caps to limited surcharges allowed on domestic rates for roaming in 2016. These surcharges may finally disappear under certain new general limits in 2017. That's all we know for sure so far.

There is one problem for everybody, no matter where he lives in the EU/EEA. All calls will be charged according to the local tariff of the provider (plus a possible surcharge in 2016/7). Undoubtly, the EU cap right now reduces drastically the rates when you call on roaming "home", within the roaming country and to another EU country.

Calling "home" may even get cheaper, because you can use your domestic allowance for it, as the EU suggested. But what about the other group of calls? Within the roaming country and to a 3rd EU country? According to the new rules, these calls will be charged based on the internatl. tariff of the provider and possibly not capped anymore. That's the same what they charge when you call from home to another EU country.

Here is a price quote of the leading networks of the UK, France and Germany on prepaid/PAYG plans as standard rate for international calls and SMS placed from this "home" country anywhere in the EU:
UK: EE - pay as you go: £1/min; SMS: 25p
Germany: Telekom - Xtra Card Auslandstarif: €1.99/min; SMS: 19ct
France: Orange - Mobicarte: €0.70/min; SMS: 28ct

Right now, all EU calls are capped at 0.19 ct/min and SMS at 6 ct plus tax.

Again, according to your home provider, calls on roaming within the roaming country and to a 3rd country are international calls charged the same as being called from "home". These calls will face a steep price increase, if the system is shifted from caps and only local tariffs are to be applied. Quote from the press statement: "It means that from 15 June 2017 you can use your mobile device when travelling in the EU paying the same prices as at home (domestic prices)."
Well, sometimes, it's not such a good idea.

UPDATE: Good News

Today the EU Parliament approved the new roaming regulations which is not a big surprise as they wanted to get rid of the surcharges even earlier.

New details about the regulations for 2016 and 2017 have emerged:
Source: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/pr...aming-charges/

For the regulation effective 2017:

1.) There will be a Fair Use Policy in place from 2017. This is to prevent "abusive use" of roaming whatever this may be. The new limits of this FUP will be established in Dec 2016.

2.) The new fee for overuse which is going to be imposed can't be very high as it "cannot be higher than the maximum wholesale rate that operators pay for using the networks of other EU countries."

For the regulation effective 2016:

1.) A new rate of incoming roaming for calls will be set at the end of 2015: For calls received, the maximum surcharge will be the weighted average of maximum mobile termination rates across the EU.

2.) The existing caps of 2014 will stay in place for the new rules in 2016: Also after 30 April 2016, the sum of the domestic price and any surcharge cannot in any case be higher than the current retail caps (€0.19 per minute for calls, €0.06 for texts and €0.20 per megabyte of data).

So the fear of price increases for calls within the roaming country and a third country within the EU as told in my contribution above seems to be unfounded.

The EP passed the end of roaming and net neutrality rules today.

So it's suppose to happen after 15 June 2017. From April 2016, the roaming charges for data will be .05€ per MB, not including VAT. So that's like 50€ per gigabyte before tax.

They will define fair use rules so roaming can't be abused with "permanent roaming" by EU citizens buying a SIM in another country and using it at home.

The press release talks about a citizen having her usual bundle of minutes, texts and data and while roaming, having them automatically deducted while roaming, as if they were on their domestic network.

So it sounds like this would only be for postpaid, not prepaid?

Also, postpaid plans in the EU still ration minutes and texts? In the US now, voice and SMS are unlimited because most users now use things like Whatsapp, Skype, iMessage, etc.

No, it makes no difference whether payment is in advance or in arrears. It also makes no difference whether charges are 1KB increments (common on prepaid) or 1GB increments (common on postpaid). Domestic charges must apply to intra-EEA roaming (subject to interim capped surcharges).

dont forget it is 5ct SURCHARGE to your local tariff. So this can sum up more if you dont have a bundle for data

So I wonder about this fair use restriction, which they have yet to spell out.

Someone living in SE France could cross over into Italy and get a TIM SIM for 30-35 Euro which would give them 10 GB.

There is no prepaid bundle in France that is anywhere near close. Well maybe Free but their network isn't the same.

With a TIM SIM, they could probably roam on the best French networks.

So I don't know how they'd track it, unless it was on a post paid subscription. For all TIM knows, it's a French tourist to Italy who buys the SIM for a vacation, not to use it mostly in France.

And Orange may see more roaming on their networks from Italian SIMs near the border area. But how would they be able to tell if it's a tourist or if it's a French resident who should have bought an Orange SIM?

Unless they're tracking IMEI numbers of each devices, like they notice devices with certain numbers are roaming in France with an Italian SIM month after month, year after year.

It's nothing to do with that. TIM will be able to impose a fair usage limit on the amount of usage at domestic prices that is consumed outside Italy in a given period. We don't know yet what the averaging period will be or what level of usage will be allowed. But the EU regulations will stipulate this.

Hmm, okay, I had a TIM SIM earlier this month. Had about 3 GB left when I left Italy.

Went to Frankfurt, turned it on when I landed.

50 MB was consumed right on the tarmac of the airport as the plane was taxing to the gate.

Thereafter, no more.

This was a €30 with 10 GB of prepaid data bundle.

If fair use is something ridiculous like that, then I guess people won't bother with these large data bundles.

Very nice as well,....very generous, good forums as well.

If I see correctly, the price for the incoming calls in roaming inside EU/EEA from April 30th 2016 on has been set at €0.01 per minute plus VAT:

https://twitter.com/eu_commission/st...36305782833152

The other surcharges are as expected.

Well .05€ per megabyte is much better than .20€ per MB.

But we're still talking €50 for a gigabyte.

So still use Wifi or buy prepaid if you're planning to use a lot of data on your devices.


We're 18 months from abolishment of all roaming fees within the EU. Though who knows if the UK votes for a Brexit.

But as we get within 6-9 months of the date, lets see if there are any more changes. Or how restrictive the fair use rules will be.

OK, another update. It's still on schedule for 15 June 2017. Remember that it was originally to be in 2016 if not earlier.

They just released an update, where they're wrangling with "Fair Use Policy" or FUP so that operators can find redress if the free-roaming or "Roam Like at Home" (RLAH - you got to love these bureaucratic acronyms) is abused.

The thing driving this is the wide range of prices in the EU:

https://www.neweurope.eu/press-relea...he-eu-in-2017/

So for FUP to protect operators, there was first an effort to reduce wholesale roaming caps between carriers. That is apparently not yet finalized.

Then there have been various proposals, like limiting the free roaming time or data amount. Some operators claimed most Europeans only roamed 6-12 days, while others claimed it was much more. I've seen figures proposed like 90 total days of free roaming per year and no more than 30 consecutive days of roaming, to make sure people aren't using cheaper SIM cards from one country in another on a permanent basis.

Or another proposal would be to allow carriers to impose surcharges for those customers who roamed too much.

All kinds of documentation here. There's some interesting data, like the AARPU (average mobile revenues per user) in each country:

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-...ing-regulation

Note the date, they only published this stuff on 12/15/2016, just 6 months before the target date for free roaming. But they're still defining, deliberating and sending out proposals to each countries and presumably operators.

Will they get all these rules hammered away in time or will there be another delay?

The rules are there now. The regulation is there since long time already and the implementing act that defines the fair use policy (FUP) has been approved last week as published in your link. The only thing that is missing are the wholesale prices which will be used to calculate the maximum amount of data that one will be able to use without surcharge in EU-roaming.

The whole thing got quite complicated. In short, the voice/SMS EU-roaming should be possible without surcharge without any additional FUP. For data on postpaid one will be able to roam during about 60 days within any 4 months period without surcharge up to the maximum of:
2 x monthly amount excl. VAT / wholesale price per MB.

For prepaid it seems that the operators will be able to limit the amounts of surcharge-free roaming to very low amounts, if they wish to.

If an operator wishes so and can show that this is necessary, he may request to be able to continue to charge roaming surcharges from the day one of the free EU-roaming on.

Well in that case, guess no point in roaming with prepaid, might as well just get a local SIM if one plans to use a lot of data.

The other term they're using is "stable links" as in the user has to show an address or "stable links" to an EU address in order to receive free roaming benefits. Maybe that will rule out people visiting from outside the EU.

But it also seems like during the years they've taken to arrive at this point, roaming costs have dropped enough that a lot of people are okay with roaming for short periods of time.

Or prepaid data has also dropping in price. Or there are products offering free roaming within the EU already.

So to a certain extent, the market has solved the problem during the sweet time it's taken the EU bureaucrats to lift roaming costs.