Memo: SMS and Data Roaming: Commission welcomes swift endorsement by Telecoms Council

Following the Telecoms Council's deliberations, Viviane Reding, the EU Telecoms Commissioner, commented on the Roaming II Agreement: 'I welcome the Council of Telecoms Ministers' early endorsement of the Commission's proposal to reduce consumer charges for sending text messages and downloading data via their mobile phones while abroad. This shows that where there is a common will, there is a swift EU way for action in the telecoms sector. Thanks to the diplomatic efforts of the French Presidency, namely of Secretary of State Luc Chatel, Ministers have answered the Commission's call for a speedy response to the SMS and data roaming rip-off very positively. I look forward to discussing with the European Parliament – which is co-deciding on the new roaming rules with the Council – how best to protect European businessmen, tourists, students and other travellers from excessive SMS and data roaming charges. I am confident that with Parliament we will ensure that consumers travelling in the EU will save money when sending texts and surfing the web with a mobile phone as of 1 July 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.'