News
Negotiations with European Parliament to start later this month.
The European Council late last week proposed much higher wholesale data roaming caps than those proffered by the European Parliament.
On Friday, the Council proposed caps of €10 per GB from mid-2017, falling to €5 per GB by mid-2021. This is much higher than the Parliament’s proposal last Tuesday of €4 per GB, falling to €1 per GB. In June, the European Commission suggested a cap of €8.50 per GB.
Despite the considerable difference in positions, the Council said it supports a quick agreement on the final caps so that retail roaming charges can be consigned to history.
"I welcome today’s swift decision by the Council to agree on wholesale roaming caps to enable negotiations with the European Parliament and make roam-like-at-home reality as of next year," said Arpád Érsek, chair of the Council, and Slovakia’s minister for transport, construction and regional development, in a statement.
The Slovak presidency of the European Council said it plans to start talks later this month.
"Abolition of roaming charges is in the eyes of many the most concrete achievement of the Union. It is therefore of the utmost importance that we meet our citizens’ expectations," he said.
