Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament strongly criticised the first proposal of the European Commission to establish a 90-days per year limit for roaming calls to be free of charge within the EU.
Thanks to our political pressure, the EU Commission withdrew its initial proposal and today announced - as we asked - a new approach to the 'fair use policy' of the 'roam like at home' principle. S&Ds welcome the new approach based on the principle of residence of the consumer, or stable links of a consumer with any EU member state, rather than a time limit. Now we want to see the specific proposal in order to closely check whether this principle will be respected in practice.
S&D president Gianni Pittella said:
"We are glad the Commission took our concerns and reactions seriously, withdrawing its original proposal and presenting today a new one that in principle respects what was negotiated with the Parliament. Now we are eager to see all the details in order to verify that the crucial principle of 'roam like at home' has been respected. We must deliver what we promised to the EU citizens.
"I am confident that the new proposal will also ensure the best prices for our citizens when roaming, and find better possibilities to help operators to manage the new Roaming Regulation and to avoid abuses.”
