A vote scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed for two weeks,
and an almost certain period of grace before they come into effect
means that this summer's holidaymakers are unlikely to enjoy the
benefits of the lower prices.
Two EU Parliament committees have backed roaming caps and
European Commissioner Vivianne Reding has also come up with a
proposal after her voluntary price capping schemes failed to reduce
prices by enough of a margin.
The Industry, Research and Energy Committee proposed caps of 40%
a minute for outgoing calls and 15% for incoming, while the
Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee had previously
backed a cap of 50% and 25%. Some roaming calls to EU member states
can cost up to €12 a minute.
Another plan is to link the cap to the cost of connecting calls,
with a cap set at 30% above the cost of connecting phone
subscribers.
Backers of the cap plan are said to be keen to have the
Commission, Parliament and Council of Ministers behind a single
plan before it goes to Parliament to speed the implementation of
the cap once it is passed.
Two days of talks last week failed, leading negotiators to
cancel this week's Parliament hearing. It will be heard at the next
plenary session, which starts on 21st May. While a cap now seems
almost certain, mobile operators seem to have won a concession of a
three month delay from politicians, which would allow them to
operate without caps during the lucrative summer period.
"Our major concession is that we are ready to give operators
time before the capped euro tariff applies automatically," said
Joseph Muscat, the Maltese MEP behind one of the plans. "That is
the only concession we can give."
Negotiations are also focusing on whether or not subscribers
should be placed on the capped tariffs automatically, or whether or
not they should have to request the new price structure.
The UK has opposed an automatic cap and has recommended that it
be set higher than the current proposals, at 60% and 30%. The
Department of Trade and Industry has reportedly assessed the cost
of the current measures. It has said that it will cost the industry
€500 million a year and could add £25 to the cost of subsidised
phone handsets.
