Commission solicits opinions on regulation of mobile phone roaming charges
As it reiterated in its recent report on electronic communications regulation and markets, the Commission believes that Europeans are being charged too much to use their mobile phones abroad. As a result, the EU executive has begun preparing a draft regulation on international roaming charges, which it intends to present to Parliament and Council as soon as possible. As part of its preparatory work, the Commission is calling for opinions from interested parties concerning the structure and potential impact of such a regulation. 'The Commission believes that consumers continue to pay unreasonably high prices for using their mobile phone abroad. This is reducing cross-border use of mobile phones and presents an obstacle to the European market for electronic communications [...],' reads a statement. In particular, the Commission is seeking views on: - What form should a regulation in international roaming charges take? i.e. should it be targeted at wholesale level charges, retail level, or both? - What regulatory and pricing mechanism (or control) would achieve the desired objectives of such a regulation in the most effective and simple manner? - The impacts - positive and negative - that regulation of international roaming charges could have on industry players, on consumers, and in general economic and social terms. From its entry into force, which the Commission says could be as early as summer 2007, the regulation would have immediate effect in all 25 Member States without the need for transposition into national law. The closing date for comments is 17 March.