The EU's Telecom Council has agreed on approved plans to cap roaming charges, which will result in a lowering of costs of using a mobile phone while abroad,
Price caps will begin on July 2007, or possibly as early as the end of this month, and will take effect over the next three months, to be fully implemented by September.
The decision to finally go ahead with the caps was taken at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The European Commission had proposed the regulation at the beginning of July of last year, and it was widely supported by all 27 member states.
An EU operator will only be able to, on average, make a wholesale charge of 0.30 Euro per minute for calls made abroad.
Retail charges will be capped at 0.49 Euro per minute for calls made and 0.24 for calls received.
All these tariffs will be further reduced throughout the duration of the EU's plan.
A review of the tariff plan will still take place within the next 18 months to determine its impact.
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