News: EU, green light to negotiations to extend European roaming to the Western Balkans

The European Union has approved the opening of negotiations with the six Western Balkan countries to extend the EU’s free roaming system, “Roam Like at Home,” to the region. The decision marks one of the most concrete steps in the gradual integration of candidate countries into the EU single market.

The aim is to allow citizens of the Western Balkans to make calls, send messages, and use mobile data in EU countries without additional charges, under the same conditions as within the Union. The same principle would also apply reciprocally to EU citizens travelling in the region. Following the approval by the EU Council, the European Commission will begin bilateral negotiations with each country to define the necessary agreements and ensure alignment with EU telecommunications regulations. The initiative is part of Brussels’ strategy of gradual integration and builds on the abolition of roaming charges within the Western Balkans, which has been in place since 2021.

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