Roaming is out. The European Parliament approved by a large majority the abolition of roaming charges on mobile phonecalls.
More specifically, the European Parliament voted in favour of abolishing roaming charges by Christmas 2015, in a vote supporting the European Commission's proposal for a regulation entitled "Connected Continent.
The "Connected Continent" regulation concerns the telecommunications sector and was proposed by the European Commission in September 2013. The aim of the regulation is to achieve a single telecommunications market in the European Union, abolishing roaming charges.
At the same time, this specific regulation aims to ensure free Internet for all users, eliminating blocking and content degradation, coordinating spectrum licensing for wireless broadband, ensuring greater transparency in the contracts of Internet and broadband communications users and making it easier to change provider.
European Commission Vice-President Neely Kroes said: "This vote is a tangible example of what the EU offers to citizens. It shows what the European Union means: freedom from obstacles that make our lives more difficult and expensive.".
To add: "Almost all of us depend on mobile and internet connections every day. We need to know what we are buying, not pay more than we need to, and have the ability to change our minds. Companies, for their part, need to be able to serve us all, and this regulation makes it easier for them to do so. This creates benefits for everyone.".
Following approval by the European Parliament, the Union's Member States will need to further examine the regulation and the European Commission expects a final agreement before the end of 2014.
