BRUSSELS – The Council of the European Union approved today the opening of negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia with a view to extending the EU’s Roam Like at Home area to these partners.
The Roam Like at Home area allows consumers to make calls, send text messages and use mobile data while travelling abroad without paying additional roaming charges, under the same conditions as at home. It currently covers the EU, the European Economic Area countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – as well as Moldova and Ukraine.
In a press release, Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, which is currently presiding over the Council, stated that the decision sends a clear signal of the EU’s commitment to the region.
“Greater connectivity means greater opportunities for citizens, businesses and economic cooperation. By working towards an expanded common roaming area, we are making the benefits of European integration tangible in people’s daily lives”, Raouna said.
Following today’s decision, the European Commission will begin negotiations on sectoral agreements with each of the WB6 partners. These agreements will be anchored to the existing Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAAs), which support the region’s stability, economic integration and rapprochement with the EU.
The sectoral agreements will establish the institutional framework necessary for their implementation and governance, the Council clarified in the press release.
Before joining the Roam Like at Home area, each Western Balkan partner will need to fully align with and implement the EU roaming acquis. The Commission will assess compliance and, where the outcome is positive, confirm that the necessary conditions have been met.
Following a positive assessment, the joint body established under each of the relevant agreements will be able to decide on the reciprocal opening of the EU and WB partner’s roaming markets, enabling citizens and businesses to benefit from roaming services without additional charges.
