European Parliament roams in on excessive charges

10.00.40am GMT Wed 24th Jan 2007

Commenting following yesterday's meetings in the European Parliament which heard evidence from mobile phone giants O2, Vodafone and Meteor, Graham Watson Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, has said that consumers should start to feel the benefits of a price cap on mobile phone roaming charges in time for their summer holidays this year.

Speaking from Brussels, Graham Watson said:

"Last week's decision by mobile phone network 3 to abolish roaming charges for UK customers travelling to seven European countries, including Italy, Denmark, and Ireland, is a welcome move, if long overdue, to deal with the outrageous prices customers currently face. I am particularly pleased to see data and SMS roaming charges included in their new price plan. Up to now these have been conveniently forgotten by operators.

Tariff cuts by an increasing number of mobile operators are coming about thanks to pressure from the European Parliament and the threat of legislation. I am confident that by the summer mobile phone users across European will get a fairer deal."

Yesterday's meeting in the European Parliament was part of the on-going meetings and discussions taking place in Brussels and Strasbourg following the decision last year by the European Commission to oblige operators to cut their prices for using mobile phones abroad. On the basis of roaming tariffs set at sometimes three or four times the price of making a call, the European Commission intervened to suggest an immediate cap of 30% above the domestic rate on received calls and, after a grace period, a similar cap imposed on out-going calls made from abroad. The European Parliament is currently active in discussing the finer points of the Commission's proposals.