Brussels, 16/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - A new document published by the European Commission staff in charge of the digital society has confirmed the rumours about Commissioner Neelie Kroes preparing for another cut in roaming costs - the costs invoiced by telecoms operators for voice calls and text messages when travelling abroad. The Commission is expected to re-examine (on 22 June) the regulation currently in force, which expires in summer 2012. Kroes has underlined on a number of different occasions over recent weeks that she is not satisfied with prices or the state of competition, following the latest Eurobarometer survey and the results of a public consultation. She has said that she is therefore preparing to make a number of rulings on new measures (EUROPE 10316 and 10273).
According to the current document (which is likely to be revised by June), as highlighted by AFP, the Commission intends to extend the capping system to retail prices for internet use on mobile phones. Until now, only wholesale prices have been regulated for downloading data when roaming. She also wants to give consumers the opportunity to purchase specific packages separately for their calls abroad through the operator of their choice and without having to change their number. This will be done in order to ultimately create sufficient competition and subsequently make the price capping system obsolete. The new caps planned for retail voice calls from another EU country are 32 cents per minute on 1 July 2012, 28 cents on 1 July 2013 and 24 cents on 1 July 2014. The current cap stands at 39 cents. For calls received abroad, the current 15 cent cap will be cut to 10 cents in July 2013. For text messages, the price will be brought down from the current 11 cents to 10 cents on 1 July 2012. Finally, for the use of the internet whilst roaming, new provisions include a 90 cent cap per mega-octet on 1 July 2012, to 70 cents on 1 July 2013 and 50 cents in July 2014. Until now only wholesale prices have been regulated for this segment of the market. The Commission regrets that reductions that have been introduced have not impacted on retail prices, which remain 50 times higher abroad than at a domestic level. Since 2007, the EU has imposed maximum prices for voice roaming calls. These prices have gradually fallen, but not enough for the Commission. The Commission's ultimate goal is to develop a genuine single telephony market in Europe by 2015, with an almost zero difference between domestic mobile communications prices and those whilst roaming abroad. (I.L./transl.fl)