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Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia aim to join the EU roaming area without additional charges...
The Council of the European Union today approved the opening of negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, with the aim of expanding the EU's "Roam Like at Home" area for these partners.
The “Roam Like at Home” zone allows consumers to make calls, send messages and use mobile internet while travelling abroad without paying additional roaming charges, under the same conditions as at home. Currently, this zone includes the European Union countries, the European Economic Area countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, as well as Moldova and Ukraine.
In a press release, Cyprus' Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, stated that the decision sends a clear signal of the European Union's commitment to the region.
"Greater connectivity creates more opportunities for citizens, businesses and economic cooperation. By working to expand a common roaming area, we are making the benefits of European integration tangible in people's daily lives," said Raouna.
Following today's decision, the European Commission will launch negotiations for sectoral agreements with each of the six Western Balkan partners. These agreements will be based on the Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA), which aim to strengthen stability, economic integration and the region's rapprochement with the European Union.
According to the EU Council, sectoral agreements will define the institutional framework necessary for their implementation and administration.
Before becoming part of the “Roam Like at Home” area, each Western Balkan partner must fully align its legislation with the EU roaming acquis and implement it in practice. The European Commission will assess the level of compliance and, if the results are positive, confirm that the necessary conditions have been met.
Following a positive assessment, the joint bodies established under the relevant agreements will be able to decide on the reciprocal opening of roaming markets between the EU and the Western Balkan partners. This will enable citizens and businesses to use roaming services without additional charges when travelling between the participating countries.
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