EU COURT TELLS MOBILE PHONE COMPANIES TO CUT ROAMING CHARGES (Bishop Auckland Liberal Democrats)

Bishop Auckland Liberal Democrats <mark@bishoplibdems.org.uk>

EU COURT TELLS MOBILE PHONE COMPANIES TO CUT ROAMING CHARGES

June 10, 2010 12:00 AM
Originally published by Fiona Hall MEP

A North East MEP has welcomed the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) decision this week to back moves to cut mobile roaming rates by up to 70%. Mobile phone operators including Vodafone and O2 lost their challenge in court to scrap caps on the cost of making calls while abroad.

The court decided that the EU's roaming regulation was legally sound, fair for protecting consumers and did not infringe the sovereignty of member states, because roaming is a cross-border phenomenon that needed a common response.

Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall, who voted in favour of roaming charge caps, said:

"This decision is great news for North East holidaymakers and business people who rely on their mobile phones to stay in touch with people back in the UK. They are now protected from receiving nasty shocks when opening their mobile phone bills on return to the region.

"Mobile phone operators were given a lot of time and encouragement to bring down voluntarily the excessive costs of using mobile phones abroad. Their refusal to give customers a fair deal forced the EU to step in and introduce caps on making and receiving calls as well as texting and receiving texts whilst abroad. The ECJ's decision is a real victory for consumers across Europe."