UUP MEP says European Parliament has delivered a Victory for Consumers after voting to slash the cost of using a Mobile Phone abroad
Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that today that the European Parliament has delivered a victory for consumers in Northern Ireland after MEPs voted today to slash the cost of using your mobile phone abroad.
Mr Nicholson said the proposals, which must be approved by the European Commission and EU telecommunication Ministers could cut so called mobile phone roaming charges by up to 75%. The cost of calling home from another EU state would be set at a maximum of 49 euro cents (£0.34) and 24 cents (£0.16) to receive a call.
Speaking from Strasbourg Mr Nicholson said,
“Today’s vote means that people from Northern Ireland who are in Europe on business or on holiday will now be protected from excessive roaming charges and from returning home to find a nasty surprise on their mobile phone bill. This, I believe, is a massive victory for consumers in Northern Ireland.
“It was important for the EU to get a grip on this issue and deliver real results for consumers who have been hit hard over the years by the spiralling costs of using their mobile phone abroad. It is a perfect example of how Europe can be a force for good when it focuses on things that really matter to people.
“If we were genuinely supposed to be in a single market, then we shouldn’t have been penalised in such a harsh way when we crossed a border and used our mobile phone in a different European country.
“People already pay enough for their holidays and shouldn’t be hit with more high charges for using a mobile abroad. Hopefully we will now see an end to the ridiculous situation where sometimes the mobile phone bill was higher than the hotel bill.
“I hope that the European Commission and EU Telecommunications Ministers approve these plans as soon as possible so that holiday makers can take full advantage of lower call charges before they jet off abroad for their summer holidays.”