On 3 June, the ambassadors of the European Union member states approved the start of negotiations on the abolition of roaming charges with the Western Balkan countries, namely Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia, according to unofficial confirmation from the Council of the EU.
The decision was formally adopted by the Council of the EU on 4 June, after which negotiations will begin with each country in the region individually, Radio Free Europe reports.
Officials from Cyprus, the country currently holding the EU Presidency, stated that they strongly support the European path of the Western Balkans.
"The extension of the roaming-free area is a clear sign of our commitment to the region. We look forward to the formal adoption of the decision authorising the opening of negotiations on the agreements," a spokesperson for the Cypriot Presidency said.
The European Commission proposed the abolition of roaming charges for the Western Balkans in February.
The "Roam Like at Home" scheme currently applies to EU member states and countries within the European Economic Area.
In January this year, the regulation was also extended to Ukraine and Moldova, even though those countries are not members of the EU.
European officials expect the negotiations to be concluded by the end of this year.
According to Radio Free Europe, in the best-case scenario roaming charges between the WesternBalkan countries and the EU could be abolished as early as next year, although this will depend entirely on the readiness of the countries in the region to advance in the negotiations.
Roam Like at Home
"Roam Like at Home" is one of the EU’s most successful policies for its citizens and has been in force since 2017. It is a European Commission regulation that allows people to use their mobile phones in other member states at the same prices as in their home country.
This means that while travelling within the EU zone, there are no additional charges for calls, text messages or mobile data usage, as domestic tariffs apply. The same rule also applies to incoming calls and messages received while users are abroad.
(EUpravo zato)