Press Release -    30 June 2010  -        For Immediate Release

EU cuts cost of calling home says MEP

South East EuroMP Peter Skinner today welcomed news that the cost of making and receiving mobile phone calls and texts in Europe is to fall again tomorrow thanks to new EU rules.

From 1 July the cost of calling home form another EU country will no cost more than 32p per minute, while the cost of receiving a call while travelling in the EU will cost no more than 12.5p per minute (before VAT). Furthermore the cost of downloading and using mobile internet services will be capped as well. Operators will not be able to charge more than £42 per month for mobile internet use and there will be a cap of 65p per MegaByte for downloading.

Mr Skinner said: “This is great for anyone travelling to Europe for holidays over the summer- no more rip-off bills for making or taking calls while you’re on holiday.”

The EuroMP added that it had been a great achievement of Labour Members of the European Parliament to reduce mobile phone roaming charges under legislation passed in 2007: “Since 2007 the cost of calling home when you’re abroad has fallen by up to 70% and texting by 60%, this is a major boost for customers across the country, brought in by the EU upon the insistence of our campaign.”

Mr Skinner added: “This represents a further step along the way towards fairer pricing for consumers. We are getting closer to the 2015 target of having an almost zero per cent difference between domestic and roaming charges. If only the Lib-Tory coalition hadn’t put up VAT we’d all feel the benefits even more!”

Peter Skinner, who represents the South East in Brussels, made the comments after it had been announced that large mobile phone operators such as Orange and Vodafone had tried to block the price cuts through the courts. Mobile operators had previously been making profits of up to 400% on making and receiving calls whilst abroad.