EU cuts data roaming charges for six Balkan countries

The gradual reduction of data roaming charges between the European Union (EU) and six Western Balkan countries has begun. In a written statement, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) stated that after almost a year of intensive joint work with the European Commission, the telecommunications operators of the Western Balkans and the EU have met the expectations under the roaming declaration. The statement said, “As of October, the 1 GB data roaming price limit will not exceed 18 euros within the framework of special campaigns and packages, which will make travel and communication between the EU and the Western Balkans significantly more economical.” RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu, whose views were included in the statement, said, “The success of the EU-Western Balkans Roaming Declaration is proof of the power of regional cooperation in making and transforming communication between countries easier, better and more challenging in the face of challenges.” It is planned that data roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkan countries will be reduced again in 2026 and brought closer to domestic prices by 2028. The leaders of the EU and the six Balkan countries, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, signed the "EU-Western Balkans Roaming Declaration", which paved the way for the start of the process of removing data roaming charges, within the scope of the EU-Western Balkans Summit held in Tirana, the capital of Albania, in December 2022.