ACTIVITIES :: Roaming :: How it came about

A history of the roaming rules

The problem of high charges for international roaming is not a new one. Over a number of years, the telecommunications industry has failed to bring roaming prices to the level that reflects the underlying costs of providing this service. The national regulatory authorities have drawn the Commission’s attention to this fact, and some of them have called for action at EU level to solve the problem. Also the European Parliament voiced concerns and asked the Commission to develop new initiatives in order to reduce the high costs of cross-border mobile telephone traffic. It was against the background of complete lack of industry–driven progress over many years that the Commission decided that action was required.

14.02.2011: Press release
2011: Consultation on a review of the functioning of the Roaming Regulation
(Regulation (EC) No 544/2009)
2010 Interim report and press release
28.06.2010: Press release on new caps and data roaming cut-off limit
08.06.2010: Court of Justice rules on the legal validity of EU Roaming rules
08.06.2010: Judgment of the Court
01.10.2010: Opinion of Advocate General
01.07. 2009: Press release on the revised roaming rules and memo
08.06.2009: Press release
22.04.2009: Press release
23.09.2008: Press release and Memo
2008 Commission proposal (en), (de), (fr)
2008 Impact Assessment (en) and Executive Summary (en), (de), (fr)
2008 Commission Communication on Roaming Regulation (en), (de), (fr)
04.06.2008 : Letter to CEOs
2008 Data Roaming Study
2008 Danish study on data roaming charges
2008 Public consultation
First ERG benchmark report, January 2008
25.06.2007: Press release on the adoption of the roaming regulation
2006 Impact Assessment and Executive summary
2007 public consultation: first phase and second phase
2006 Mini Hearing at European Parliament on “International Roaming – its economic implications”
2006 Proposal for a roaming regulation and other related documents
2006 Eurobarometer survey