Activities of Christian ENGSTRÖM related to 2011/0187(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Roaming on public mobile communications networks within the Union (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on roaming on public mobile communications networks within the Union (recast)
Amendments (27)
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Data on the development of prices for Union-wide voice, SMS and data roaming services since the entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 717/2007 and its amending Regulation (EC) No 544/2009, including in particular those collected by national regulatory authorities and reported on a quarterly basis through the medium of the BEREC, do not provide evidence to suggest that competition at the retail or wholesale levels has reasonably developed and is likely to be sustainable from June 2012 onwards in the absence of regulatory measures. Such data indicates that retail and wholesale prices are still much higher than domestic prices and continue to cluster at or close to the limits set by Regulation (EC) No 717/2007 as amended by Regulation (EC) No 544/2009, with only limited competition below those limits.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) Consumers should have the right to opt for the separate sale of roaming services from their domestic mobile package. Basic principles should be laid down with regard to the provision of a separate sale of roaming services which should be introduced in a coordinated manner across the Union. Consumers should be able to choose a different provider for roaming services without changing their number, and in a manner which ensures interoperability of services and within a short period of time, with roaming services being provided anywhere in the Union and with the same level of quality.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) During the transitional period of safeguard caps, new roaming customers should be fully informed in a clear and understandable manner of the range of tariffs that exist for roaming within the Union, including the tariffs which are compliant with the transitory Eurotariff. Existing roaming customers should be given the opportunity to choose a new tariff compliant with the transitory Eurotariff or any other roaming tariff within a certain time frame. For existing roaming customers who have not made their choice within this time frame, it is appropriate to distinguish between those who had already opted for a specific roaming tariff or package before the entry into force of this Regulation and those who had not. The latter should be automatically accorded a tariff that complies with this Regulation. Roaming customers who already benefit from specific roaming tariffs or packages which suit their individual requirements and which they have chosen on that basis should remain on their previously selected tariff or package if, after having been reminded of their current tariff conditions, they fail to express a choice within the relevant time period. Such specific roaming tariffs or packages could include, for example, roaming flat-rates, non-public tariffs, tariffs with additional fixed roaming charges, tariffs with per-minute charges lower than the maximum Eurotariff or tariffs with set-up charges.
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 41
Recital 41
(41) Providers of regulated roaming calls at the retail level should therefore be required to bill their customers on a per second basis for all calls subject to a Eurotariff, subject only to the possibility to apply a minimum initial charging period of no more than 30 seconds for calls made. This will enable operators to cover any reasonable set-up costs and to provide flexibility to compete by offering shorter minimum charging periods. However, no minimum initial charging period is justified in the case of Eurotariff calls received, as the underlying wholesale cost is charged on a per second basis and any specific set- up costs are already covered by mobile termination rates.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 55
Recital 55
(55) Data collected by national regulatory authorities indicate that high prices for average wholesale charges for data roaming services levied by visited network operators from roaming customers' home providers persist, e. Even if these wholesale prices appear to be on a downward trend, they are still much too high and out of proportion with the real production costs.
Amendment 94 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 81 a (new)
Recital 81 a (new)
(81a) The review of this Regulation should aim to establish an even more integrated market for telecommunication services in Europe and to improve the ability for operators to provide telecommunications services and customer to use them, and therefore to remove remaining barriers. In order to supplement the rules for wholesale roaming access, the Commission and BEREC should take necessary measures to further harmonise national telecommunications regulations, improve the conditions for market entry for operators in all Member States and harmonise termination fees across the Union. In order to support a truly borderless, single market for telecommunications services, the Commission and BEREC should present a proposal on new rules for access to new 4G/ LTE networks so that mobile devices should be enabled to connect to any operator's access network which can provide the contracted signal level, if the contracted service provider cannot, and for there to be no surcharge levied from the customer where another operator's network is used. To supplement this regulation, the Commission should present a similar legislative proposal for the prices of cross-border phone calls made and SMS sent between Member States that are not covered by this regulation. The Commission should also actively seek to extend the application of the rules laid down in this regulation to other countries outside of the Union, especially those bordering the Union and candidate countries, by concluding bilateral or multilateral agreements.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
4. Any switch to or from an alternative roaming provider shall be free of charge and shall not entail conditions or restrictions pertaining to elements of the subscription other than roaming, and shall be carried out within fivthree working days, save that where a roaming customer who has subscribed to a domestic package which includes roaming prices other than the Eurotariff, Euro-SMS tariff or Euro- data tariff, the home provider may delay the switch from the old to the new subscription concerning roaming services for a specified period not exceeding threewo months.
Amendment 133 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 5
Article 4 – paragraph 5
5. At the time of making or renewing a contract on mobile communication services, home providers shall provide all customers individually in a clear and understandable manner with full information on the possibility to choose an alternative roaming provider and facilitate the conclusion of a contract with an alternative roaming provider. Customers concluding a contract with the home provider for roaming services shall explicitly confirm that they have been informed of such possibility. The providers of mobile communications services shall not prevent retailers serving as their points of sale to offer contracts for separate roaming services with alternative roaming providers.
Amendment 139 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 6 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. When a customer is offered by his home provider roaming tariffs close enough to the tariffs for domestic voice, SMS and data services he benefits from, the obligation for this operator to enable his customer to access voice, SMS and data roaming services of any alternative roaming operator shall not apply. The BEREC, after consulting stakeholders and in close co-operation with the Commission, shall lay down, within a reasonable period of time not exceeding three months after the adoption of this Regulation, guidelines with regard to the definition of roaming tariffs close to domestic tariffs.
Amendment 151 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. The average wholesale charge that the operator of a visited network may levy from the customer's home provider for the provision of a regulated roaming call originating on that visited network, inclusive inter alia of origination, transit and termination costs, shall not exceed EUR 0,140 per minute as of 1 July 2012.
Amendment 160 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The average wholesale charge referred to in paragraph 1 shall apply between any pair of operators and shall be calculated over a twelve-month period or any such shorter period as may remain before the end of the period of application of a maximum average wholesale charge as provided for in this paragraph or the expiry of this Regulation. The maximum average wholesale charge shall decrease to EUR 0,105 and EUR 0,063, on 1 July 2013 and on 1 July 2014 respectively. Without prejudice to Article 13, the maximum average wholesale charge shall remain at EUR 0,063 for the duration of this Regulation.
Amendment 171 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The retail charge (excluding VAT) of a Eurotariff which a home provider may levy from its roaming customer for the provision of a regulated roaming call may vary for any roaming call but shall not exceed EUR 0,3215 per minute for any call made or EUR 0,1105 per minute for any call received as of 1 July 2012. The price ceiling for calls made shall decrease to EUR 0,2813 and EUR 0,2410 on 1 July 2013 and on 1 July 2014 respectively, and for calls received to EUR 0,103 on 1 July 2013. From 1 July 2014, home providers shall not levy any charge from their roaming customers for calls received. Without prejudice to Articles 13 and 19 these regulated maximum retail charges for the Eurotariff shall remain valid until 30 June 2016.
Amendment 180 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 4
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 4
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Home providers shall not disable, disallow or otherwise hamper active or passive calling when roaming for new customers or existing Eurotariff customers unless these customers specifically request so or have exceeded a cut-off limit.
Amendment 192 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. With effect from 1 July 2012, the retail charge (excluding VAT) of a Euro-SMS tariff which a home provider may levy from its roaming customer for a regulated roaming SMS message sent by that roaming customer may vary for any roaming SMS message but shall not exceed EUR 0,107, and shall not exceed EUR 0,05 from 1 July 2014. Without prejudice to Articles 13 and 19, the regulated maximum retail charge for the Euro-SMS tariff shall remain at EUR 0,105 until 30 June 2016.
Amendment 201 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 6 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Home providers shall not disable, disallow or otherwise hamper the sending or receiving of SMS when roaming for new customers or existing Eurotariff customers unless these customers specifically request so or have exceeded a cut-off limit.
Amendment 203 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. With effect from 1 July 2012 the average wholesale charge that the operator of a visited network may levy from the roaming customer's home provider for the provision of regulated data roaming services by means of that visited network shall not exceed a safeguard limit of EUR 10,30, EUR 0,20 as of 1 July 2013 and EUR 0,10 as of 1 July 2014 per megigabyte of data transmitted. Without prejudice to Article 13 the maximum average wholesale charge for the provision of regulated data roaming services shall remain at EUR 0,10 per megigabyte of data transmitted for the duration of this Regulation.
Amendment 216 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
With effect from 1 July 2012, the retail charge (excluding VAT) of a Euro-data tariff which a home provider may levy from its roaming customer for the provision of a regulated roaming data shall not exceed EUR 0,920 per megigabyte. The price ceiling for data used shall decrease to EUR 0,70 and EUR 0,50,maximum retail charge for the provision of roaming data below 1 gigabyte shall be proportionate to EUR 20 per megigabyte used on 1 July 2013 and on 1 July 2014 respectively. Without prejudice to Articles 13 and 19, the regulated maximum retail charge shall remain at EUR 0,520, per megigabyte used until 30 June 2016.
Amendment 234 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
To alert a roaming customer to the fact that he will be subject to roaming charges when making or receiving a call or when sending an SMS message, each home provider shall, except when the customer has notified his home provider that he does not require this service, provide the customer, automatically by means of a Message Service, without undue delay and free of charge, when he enters a Member State or a third country other than that of his home network, with basic personalised pricing information on the roaming charges (including VAT) that apply to the making and receiving of calls and to the sending of SMS messages by that customer in the visited Member State.
Amendment 238 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – introductory part
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – introductory part
This basic personalised pricing information shall be sent to the customer when roaming outside as well as within the European Union and shall include the maximum charges the customer may be subject to under his tariff scheme for:
Amendment 242 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point b
(b) sending regulated roaming SMS messages while in the visited Member Statecountry.
Amendment 250 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2
Article 14 – paragraph 2
2. In addition to paragraph 1, customers shall have the right to request and receive, free of charge, and irrespective of their location within the Union, more detailed personalised pricing information on the roaming charges that apply in the visited network to voice calls, SMS, MMS and other data communication services, and information on the transparency measures applicable by virtue of this Regulation, by means of a mobile voice call or by SMS. Such a request shall be to a free-of-charge number designated for this purpose by the home provider. Obligations provided for in paragraph 1 shall not apply to machine to machine (M2M) type of devices that use mobile communication.
Amendment 251 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 254 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Home providers shall ensure that their roaming customers, both before and after the conclusion of a contract, are kept adequately informed of the charges which apply to their use of regulated data roaming services, in ways which facilitate customers' understanding of the financial consequences of such use and permit them to monitor and control their expenditure on regulated data roaming services in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3. Pricing information shall be expressed in gigabytes. The safeguard mechanisms referred to in paragraph 3 shall not apply to pre-paid customers.
Amendment 265 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
An automatic message from the home provider shall inform the roaming customer that he is roaming and provide basic personalised tariff information on the charges applicable to the provision of regulated data roaming services to that roaming customer in the Member State or third country concerned, except where the customer has notified his home provider that he does not require this information.
Amendment 271 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Such basic personalised tariff information shall be delivered to the roaming customer's mobile telephone or other device, for example by an SMS message, an e-mail or a pop-up window on the computer, every time the roaming customer enters a Member State or third country other than that of his home network and initiates for the first time a regulated data roaming service in that particular Member Statecountry. It shall be provided free of charge at the moment the roaming customer initiates a regulated data roaming service, by an appropriate means adapted to facilitate its receipt and easy comprehension. The personalised pricing information shall be sent to the customer when roaming outside as well as within the Union.
Amendment 289 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Paragraph 3 shall apply to customers roaming outside as well as within the territory of the European Union.