TMCnet News
Four Balkan states sign deal to cut roaming prices to EU levels in three years [IntelliNews - Weekly Reports](IntelliNews - Weekly Reports Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro signed an agreement on Monday, Sept 29, to gradually work on cutting roaming prices on their territory, aiming to reduce them to the level of EU tariffs within three years, regional media outlets reported. The agreement was signed by the telecommunications ministers of the four countries during this year's edition of the Infofest in Montenegro's Budva, local broadcaster RTCG reported. Turkey and Albania were also expected to be part of the pact but their authorities have not yet completed all internal procedures to be able to join the initiative. Under the contract, the four Balkan states will start aligning in the coming month their legal rules in the sector and form a joint commission comprising the four regulators. Serb telecommunications minister Rasim Ljajic told news agency Beta that more things need to be done for the implementation of the agreement, including holding talks with telecom operators on the issue. He said that talks with the three mobile operators active in Serbia have already started. "I would lie if I say they are happy that we are initialling this process," he admitted, adding that the agreement will still be of benefit to the operators as it also targets boosting the telecommunications traffic. Ljajic has said previously that roaming fees in Serbia are up to five times higher than those in the EU. He explained that being an EU candidate, Serbia already tried earlier to join Brussels' directive on lowering roaming prices - but was told the directive covers exclusively the EU states. Under the Brussels' directive, roaming fees on the territory of the EU were reduced by 55% as of July 2014 and will be completely scrapped by the end of 2015. The initiative of the Balkan states aims to make them part of this trend. (c) 2014 Emerging Markets Direct Media Holdings LLC Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |