Telecoms ministers of the European Union agreed on Thursday to reduce charges for mobile phone users and boost competition in telecom markets.
"We have managed to reach political agreement within the Council of Ministers," French Industry Minister and Secretary of State Luc Chatel, whose country is holding the current presidency of the EU, said at a meeting of EU telecom ministers.
The ministers endorsed a proposal by the EU's executive Commission to reduce consumer charges for sending text messages and downloading data via their mobile phones while abroad.
On Sept. 23, the commission proposed a new Roaming Regulation that substantially cuts the cost of sending text messages and using mobile data services abroad in the EU, as well as extends the duration of the current Regulation of voice roaming charges from 2010 to 2013.
The proposal is pending the endorsement by the European Parliament, which co-decides the new roaming rules with the Council of Ministers.
EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding, who penned the proposal, welcomed the council's endorsement, saying: "This shows that where there is a common will, there is a swift EU way for action in the telecom sector. "
"I look forward to discussing with the European Parliament" as "how best to protect European businessmen, tourists, students and other travelers from excessive SMS and data roaming charges," she said.
The commissioner voiced confidence that "with Parliament we will ensure that consumers traveling in the EU will save money when sending texts and surfing the web with a mobile phone as of 1July 2009".
"This would send a clear message of consensus that the EU's single market is there to serve European citizens as well as businesses," she said in a statement.
The agreement reached Thursday was not the final one as main differences between what the commission proposed and what parliament and member states so far endorsed need to be bridged.
The parliament and the council both have watered down the commission's original proposal though they agree to set up a new EU telecom regulatory body, introduce powers to split telecom operators into business units in order to increase competition.
Source:Xinhua
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