Ministers from the 27 European Union member states approved regulations cutting mobile phone roaming charges today. The regulations were proposed by the European Commission last September and approved by the European Parliament in April.

Today's move clears the way for reductions of up to 60 percent on charges generated in the EU as of 1 July. The new rules cap the price consumers can be charged for sending a text message while abroad at €0.11. The current average is €0.28, although customers in the Netherlands and Portugal pay an average of €0.35 for each text message.
 

The cost of making and receiving calls while abroad will also be cut; calls made will be capped at €0.43 and calls received at €0.19. Telephone companies will also be required to bill to the second instead of rounding up. At present, calls are charged per minute and consumers are charged for around 20 percent more time than they actually use.