Germany Proposes Smaller EU Mobile Phone Roaming Charges Cut
BERLIN -(Dow Jones)- Germany proposes a cap on mobile phone roaming charges of EUR0.60 a minute for outgoing and EUR0.30 for incoming calls in the European Union, an economics ministry spokesman said Monday.
That is a smaller cut than EUR0.50 and EUR0.25 recommended by Germany previously.
Germany made the new proposal in its role as European Union's presidency, which it holds during the first half of 2007. Consumers have to pay roaming charges when making mobile-phone calls abroad.
"This will be the basis for the talks Tuesday with the European Commission and Parliament," said spokesman Steffen Moritz.
The proposed roaming fee cap is also higher than that proposed by the European Parliament's industry committee earlier April, which called for a EUR0.40 a minute limit for individuals making international calls within the EU, and a EUR0.15 a minute charge for receiving them.
The committee's proposed fee limits have enraged the telecommunications industry, which sees the push to limit retail prices as an unprecedented government control. European operators could lose EUR4.3 billion in revenues due to the caps, according to a 2006 study by research firm Evalueserve.
-By Andrea Thomas, Dow Jones Newswires; +49-30-2888-410; andrea.thomas@dowjones.com
(Anne Jolis in Brussels contributed to this report)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires"
Posted to the site on 23rd April 2007
