From May 15, the Cost of Telephone Calls in the EU Will be Limited to 19 Cents Per Minute

A new maximum price for all international calls and SMS within the EU comes into force on 15 May. As a result, customers who call from their country to another EU country will pay no more than 19 cents per minute (+ VAT) and 6 cents per SMS (+ VAT), reported Econ.bg

Following the abolition of roaming charges in June 2017, these new price caps for international calls and SMS in the EU are part of the EU-wide telecoms rules reform, which strengthens the coordination of electronic communications and reinforces the role of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).

 Maria Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Digital Society, said: Following the lifting of the roaming charges in 2017, the EU is now taking measures against excessive charges for cross-border calls from home. Thanks to these two actions, European consumers are now fully protected from shock bills for calls to any European number, whether at home or abroad. This is one of the many concrete achievements of the Digital Single Market.

The new rules for international calls are designed to overcome the significant price discrepancies that previously existed between Member States.

EU telecoms operators will have to notify consumers about new tariffs. The rules will apply in all 28 Member States from 15 May and soon in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The maximum price is limited to personal use only. for private customers. Business customers are excluded from this price regulation due to the fact that several vendors have special offers that are particularly appealing to business customers.