Brussels, 09/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - As announced by Viviane Reding, the Commissioner during the publication of the 2004 report on the European electronic communications market (EUROPE 8 December), the European Group of Regulators is launching a European investigation on international "roaming". International roaming is used by travellers abroad when they continue to use their national mobile phone number to call or receive calls. To do this, mobile phone operators conclude trade agreements among themselves. Faced with high roaming prices, the ERG has decided to sent questionnaires to all European mobile phone operators. The objective is to carry out a national level market study and to check whether certain operators control significant market share. If this is the case, national regulators will be able to take measures to lower prices. Answers to the questionnaire are expected at the beginning of 2005 and will be discussed in Spring. The Commission has welcomed this initiative and indicated in a press release there were ongoing investigations in the United Kingdom on two cases of abuse of dominant positions.