On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed opening negotiations to extend the EU free roaming area to six countries in the Western Balkans. The abolition of roaming charges remains one of the most visible and direct effects of European integration on the daily lives of citizens. Therefore, this new initiative aims to eliminate additional mobile network costs for travelers, workers, and businesses across borders. Furthermore, the proposal represents a concrete step toward the gradual European integration of the region.
Extending the roam like at home policy
The “Roam Like at Home” initiative was originally launched within the European Union in June 2017. Initially, the framework abolished roaming surcharges for all mobile users travelling across the 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway (the European Economic Area). Under these rules, consumers pay the domestic price for voice calls, text messages, and mobile data regardless of their location within the designated zone.
Building on this foundation, the European Commission now wants to bring Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia into the regime. Consequently, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos stated that surprise bills or higher charges are unacceptable in modern Europe. She noted that eliminating roaming charges will directly benefit cross-border workers and families maintaining contact across different states.
The path to bilateral agreements
The integration process requires several institutional steps. First, the Council of the European Union must authorise the negotiating mandate requested by the Commission. Subsequently, once the Council approves the mandate, the Commission will negotiate bilateral agreements with each of the six Western Balkans partners.
However, a strict requirement for joining the free roaming zone is full alignment with relevant EU telecommunications legislation. This means each state must update its domestic laws to match European standards before travelers can benefit from the policy. Specifically, this phased approach mirrors the recent expansion of the roaming area to Ukraine and Moldova, which officially joined the program on January 1, 2026.
Economic impact and gradual integration
The roaming proposal is part of the broader 2023 Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. Importantly, this plan aims to deliver tangible economic benefits to candidate and potential candidate countries before they achieve full EU membership.
Currently, travelers between the EU and the Western Balkans rely on voluntary, non-binding tariff reductions agreed upon by a limited number of telecom operators. While countries within the Western Balkans already operate under a regional free roaming agreement, calls and data usage across the EU border still incur high fees. Ultimately, integrating the region into the EU single market for telecommunications will lower operational costs for businesses and facilitate stronger socioeconomic ties across the continent.
