Free roaming closer to region: EU launches negotiations

The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union (EU) has scheduled a meeting of the Working Group on Enlargement and Accession Countries for April 7 in Brussels, to discuss the European Commission’s proposal to extend the “Roam Like at Home” roaming regime to the Western Balkans.

The agenda will include a number of key issues in the field of enlargement, with a particular focus on regional cooperation and the progress of candidate countries.

Among other things, the European Commission’s proposal to extend the “Roam Like at Home” regime to the Western Balkans will be discussed. An exchange of views is planned on the Commission’s recommendation for a Council decision authorizing the opening of negotiations on individual agreements between the European Union and partners from the region in the field of roaming.

This is a continuation of a broader plan to reduce the cost of telecommunications services in the Western Balkans region, which has been implemented for two years.

Montenegro and Albania will join the common market for telecommunications services with the European Union from June 2026, meaning their citizens will enjoy the benefits of the “Roam Like at Home” regime.

The remaining countries in the region - Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and the territory of Kosovo and Metohija - are also in the process of negotiating their inclusion in the free roaming initiative, while Ukraine, according to announcements, could join the European roaming market as early as the beginning of next year.

free roaming for Western Balkans countries