Ending roaming charges: Joint Statement by Vice-President Andrus Ansip and Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger following today's vote by Member States Representatives on "fair use policy" and an associated sustainability mechanism

Today's vote by Member States' Representatives allows us to formally adopt our proposal on fair use policy and the associated sustainability mechanism in line with our legal obligation to meet the deadline of 15 December. This is an important step towards the end of roaming charges on 15 June 2017. We are convinced that our proposal strikes the right balance and bridges very different, often opposite views. Today's vote means that the EU will put an end to extra charges when all travellers are calling, texting and surfing abroad from their mobile phones and devices, while ensuring that the most competitive domestic offers remain attractive.

However our work does not stop here. To definitively consign roaming charges to history, we now have to focus our efforts on the proposal on wholesale prices operators charge each other while consumers use their mobile phones abroad. We are starting the negotiations with the European Parliament and the Member States this week. To reach this last milestone, the Commission will continue to play its role of honest broker to help find a final agreement as soon as possible. There is no time to waste.

For more information

Factsheet: End of roaming charges for travellers in the European Union

STATEMENT/16/4361