Working Breakfast ”Can We Finally Achieve Roaming Free Europe? Open discussion on #Connected Continent ”
On Wednesday, the February 12th 2014 the SME Europe of the EPP organized a Working Breakfast ”Can We Finally Achieve Roaming Free Europe? Open discussion on #Connected Continent ”.
The Welcome and Moderation was given by the Chairwoman of SME Europe’s Telecom Working Group Roza Gräfin von THUN und HOHENSTEIN MEP, Member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. In her welcoming address she stated, that a Europe without borders also means a roaming free Europe. “The great ideas behind the European Union will be lost, if they do not transfer into concrete facts, like a functioning internal market on roaming.”
In the Keynote address by Pilar del CASTILLO MEP, Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, Rapporteur on #Connected Continent discussed the Connected Continent proposal of the Commission with a focus on roaming. She emphasized the proposals new method of voluntary practices, which allow operators to practically abolish roaming fees and the set deadline of December 2015. Furthermore she stated that having also the Roaming for data transfers explicitly included in the proposal is a further step forward. For SMEs she pointed out the importance to use the freedom of movement and that no obstacles through roaming should be in the way of that.
The Keynote speaker Honorary President of SME Europe Dr. Paul RÜBIG MEP, Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, elaborated on the history of the Roaming regulation and reminded that then and now these regulations are necessary to protect the telecom operators but also to establish a full internal market to the advantage of SMEs and consumers. He said “Communication has changed totally. How we communicate, is now also a social question, the protection of the Consumer in this is vital.” For SMEs he argued that it is of importance that entrepreneurs are able to trust in the fee situation and can make stable calculations, without having to fear being ripped off. He criticized the optional solution of the current proposal because in truth it would be a cold taxation on the consumer and would render the telecom industry less competitive.
The former Polish minister of digital affairs Dr. Michal BONI underlined that the time to change the system is now. He advised not to be to prompt or rapid. The change has to be sustainable for the operators and the clients. Only sustainability can create fair conditions and avoid maladaptations. The process has to be harmonized on every level. He wondered who has the judicial and the administrative responsibility for the different authorities to improve business and client conditions. To support his point of view he proclaimed a slogan for the change: “We have to go step by step not in circles.” With his final words he quoted a statistic that says, a rise of 2% GDP of the local nations is possible up to the Year 2020 if the roaming costs will lower down.
The Head of Unit Regulatory Coordination and Users Commissioner Vesa TERÄVÄ mentioned that the roaming is just 5 % of the regulatory mobile device use. The challenge is to be sustainable for all different operators and clients. The law changing process should also be a protection of the small operators. The fragmentation of the market requires working together as one single actor.
The Senior Policy Officer of BEUC – The European Consumer Organization- Guillermo BELTRA was the next speaker. The BEUC association represents 40 companies. Mr. BELTRA is optimistic to cut the roaming costs and referred to the last roaming regulation. He pointed out, that half of the mobile clients are afraid of the roaming costs, over 50% refuse to roam. With the slogan “roam like home” he wants to lower the costs in all European member states to communicate in all countries. “We turned into a digital society and data is even more important”. Data became a new topic of the regulation. He also wants to achieve a transnational roaming reduction in the next 10 years.
A lively discussion between the speakers and the audience followed the presentations.
In the discussion Sabine VERHEYEN MEP, Member of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, indicated that since in Europe living close to borders is becoming everyday life and therefore a majority issue, the roaming discussion is of high relevance. She confirmed that for the roaming debate to be solved satisfactorily a balance between all stakeholders will be needed to avoid problems, also in regard with SMEs.