After the signing of the EU - Western Balkans Declaration on Roaming at the EU - Western Balkans Summit held in Tirana on December 6, 2022, the telecom operators of the European Union and the Western Balkans held a series of meetings with the help of the Council for Regional Cooperation and the European Commission, on harmonizing the level reduction of data transfer prices in roaming between the EU and the Western Balkans, starting from October 1, 2023. From the very beginning, this process is a voluntary initiative of the operators of the Western Balkans and the EU, among which is the company MTEL.
At this stage, 39 telecom operators has reached an agreement that should enable the harmonization of retail data roaming prices between WB6 operators and the EU, which will result in more affordable and transparent prices in most countries. Additional roaming price reductions will be gradually introduced after annual reviews, with the aim of creating even more attractive prices for data roaming services in phases until 2028.
Building on the success of the Roam Like at Home regime in the EU and the Western Balkans, the purpose of this initiative is to support mobility and simplify the connection of citizens and businesses of the EU and the Western Balkans.
Director General of Telekom Srbija Vladimir Lučić previously pointed out that this agreement is primarily in the interest of the user, but that the operator is also given the opportunity to provide new services where he can replace the lost money. For example, since roaming was abolished in the EU, traffic has increased by as much as 400 times.
“It's pure income. Previously, tourist countries were afraid of losing profits from roaming. But, users started using data roaming and again it turned out that, even after the abolition of roaming, those same countries had the highest income. Europe's experience has shown that it was a good decision and I am glad that Telekom Srbija will be the leader of this project and that the Western Balkans will be fully integrated into this process by 2027," he points out. Lucic.
The benefits are multiple, because a significant reduction in prices for buyers from the EU means strengthening ties between the EU and our region, encouraging business outside our own borders due to lower business costs, but also contributing to the Western Balkans becoming a more attractive destination for tourists from the EU, which will produce multiplier effects for the economies of the Western Balkans.
"Montenegro is a tourist destination and it is known how significant the reduction of roaming prices is for everyone who travels, and in this way MTEL encourages the development and support of not only the tourism economy of our country, but also the entire economy and all users," she said. Tatjana Mandić, executive director of MTEL.
This Declaration is the result of the strong engagement of EU and Western Balkan telecom operators and the support of the European Commission, the Council for Regional Cooperation, as well as the commitment of the regional authorities since the entry into force of the Agreement on Regional Roaming for the Western Balkans.
Other telecom operators from the EU and the Western Balkans are invited to join the initiative.
