The EU Wants to Eliminate Roaming Charges with the Western Balkans

The European Union is taking another step towards the gradual integration of the Western Balkans. The Council of the EU has authorised the opening of negotiations with the region's six partners on extending the Roam Like at Home scheme, which allows mobile users to use their domestic tariffs while travelling without paying additional roaming charges. If the negotiations conclude successfully, citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia will be able to use mobile services across the EU under the same conditions as residents of member states.

The initiative forms part of the EU's broader strategy of integrating candidate countries into the Single Market even before formal accession. It reflects Brussels' growing reliance on tangible benefits of European integration to support reforms and strengthen ties with the region.

From Lower Tariffs to Full Integration

The process of reducing roaming costs between the EU and the Western Balkans has been unfolding for several years. Roaming charges within the Western Balkans themselves were abolished in 2021 through the Regional Roaming Agreement, allowing users to travel across the region without paying additional mobile fees.

The next milestone came in October 2023, when telecom operators from the EU and the Western Balkans voluntarily agreed to lower roaming prices. While this reduced costs for many consumers, the system still depended on commercial agreements between individual operators and did not provide uniform conditions for all users.

The EU is now seeking to move beyond voluntary arrangements by incorporating the Western Balkans into the Roam Like at Home framework, creating a common set of rules for operators and consumers alike.

How the New System Will Work

Following the Council's decision, the European Commission will negotiate separate agreements with each of the six Western Balkan partners. These agreements will become part of the existing Stabilisation and Association Agreements between the EU and each country.

Before joining the scheme, participating countries must align their telecommunications legislation with the EU's roaming rules. Once the European Commission confirms that these requirements have been met, citizens will be able to use mobile services throughout the EU without paying additional roaming charges.

More Than a Telecommunications Measure

Although the proposal focuses on mobile communications, its political significance extends much further. The initiative reflects the EU's increasing use of phased integration, allowing candidate countries to benefit from selected elements of the Single Market before becoming full members.

For the Western Balkans, eliminating roaming charges would not only reduce travel costs but also facilitate cross-border business, tourism, education, and everyday mobility. Businesses operating across borders would benefit from lower communication costs, while citizens travelling, studying, or working within the EU would enjoy a more seamless digital experience.

For the European Union, the measure provides a practical demonstration that the enlargement process can deliver concrete benefits long before accession negotiations are completed. At a time when enlargement remains politically complex and often lengthy, visible improvements in daily life help sustain public support for the European path across the region.

Digital Integration as Part of EU Enlargement

Extending Roam Like at Home to the Western Balkans fits into the EU's broader strategy of progressively integrating candidate countries into the Single Market. Alongside investment programmes, transport links, and energy cooperation, digital connectivity has become one of the key pillars of the bloc's enlargement policy.