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The Regional Roaming Agreement, formally the Agreement on the price reduction of the roaming services in public mobile communications networks in the Western Balkans region, regulates the imposition of roaming charges within the countries in the
The Agreement on the price reduction of the roaming services in public mobile communications networks in the Western Balkans region apply to the countries in
Western Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whol ...
; Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...
, Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
, North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
, Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = ...
and Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...
. The agreement covers both the charges mobile network operator
A mobile network operator (MNO), also known as a wireless service provider, wireless carrier, cellular company, or mobile network carrier, is a provider of wireless communications services that owns or controls all the elements necessary to sel ...
s can impose on their subscribers for using telephone and data services outside of the network's member state, and the wholesale rates networks can charge each other to allow their subscribers access to each other's networks.
The agreement came into effect from 1 July 2019, with reduced tariffs. On average, prices for outgoing calls dropped by 65% and prices for data transfer dropped by 78%.
Since 1 July 2021, all roaming tariffs have been removed, meaning no surcharge to the domestic retail price for calls, SMS & data while roaming in Western Balkans, similar to the concept of " Roam like at Home".
History
Representatives of the economies from the Western Balkans gathered inBrussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
14 December 2018 to discuss the new Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA), at the meeting of the Western Balkans Roaming Policy, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).
On 4 April 2019, at the 2nd Western Balkans Digital Summit in Belgrade, the Western Balkan Ministers for Telecommunications signed an agreement to gradually remove all roaming costs in the region. The agreement came into effect on 1 July 2019, enabling significantly lower roaming charges in the Western Balkans. Since 1 July 2021, all roaming tariffs have been removed, similar to the concept of “Roam like at Home” within the European Economic Area
The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Ass ...
(EEA).
Territorial extent
The Agreement on the price reduction of the roaming services in public mobile communications networks in the Western Balkans region apply to the countries in Western Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whol ...
:
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Majlinda Bregu, the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel
Mariya Ivanova Gabriel ( bg, Мария Иванова Габриел) (''née'' Nedelcheva, bg, Неделчева) (born 20 May 1979) is a Bulgarian politician and a member of the GERB party serving as European Commissioner for Innovation, R ...
discussed the new Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA2) for the Western Balkans in Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; ...
on 18 February 2019. Commissioner Gabriel confirmed that, once the Western Balkans reaches a new agreement on roaming prices among its economies, the EU stands ready for the reduction of tariffs.
In late 2021, the RCC announced that it would start working with the European Union on reducing roaming charges between the Western Balkans and the EU.
Prices
See also
* Roaming * Telecommunications in Europe * European Union roaming regulations * Open BalkanReferences
{{Balkan Countries Telecommunications in Europe Telecommunications in Albania Telecommunications in Bosnia and Herzegovina Telecommunications in Kosovo Telecommunications in North Macedonia Telecommunications in Montenegro Telecommunications in Serbia