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The Western Balkans becomes a roaming free zone
As of today, 1 July, citizens of Western Balkans will be using telecommunication services within the region without additional roaming costs. This landmark achievement, coined “Roam like at Home”, is a result of an agreement reached back in 2019 between Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – and supported by the European Commission. It marks a stepping-stone in the digital transformation of the region and an opportunity to increase connectivity amongst citizens and businesses alike.
The first phase of the implementation, introduced on 1 July 2019, gradually reduced the roaming charges by over 80%, and has led to a significant increase in data traffic in the entire Western Balkan region.
The European Commission has fully supported this process, which was facilitated by the Regional Cooperation Council, with the assistance of the Body of European Regulators, BEREC.
Setting up a roaming free zone also marks a significant step of the Western Balkans in aligning with the EU Digital Single Market principles and practices. This will be further supported by the Common Regional Market, as agreed by the Western Balkan leaders during the Sofia Summit in November 2020. The next step will be the preparation of a roadmap for the reduction of roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans.
Source: European Commission
Photo credits: Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
