Brussels, 2 September 2023 (TDI): The European Commission (EC) on September 1, adopted the proposal to incorporate the Roaming Regulation into the EU-Moldova Association Agreement that will bring Moldova into the “roam like at home” area of the EU.
As per the European Union Commission, once all the necessary steps are completed, Moldovan visitors to the EU will be able to use their mobile phones under the same price conditions as if they were in Moldova.
Similarly, travellers from the EU will benefit from the same rights when visiting Moldova.
The adoption of the proposal of bringing Moldova into the EU “roam like at home” area is in accordance with the signing of a Joint Declaration by the EU and Moldovan telecom operators on May 31, to voluntarily lower roaming tariffs from January 1, 2024.
After the adoption of the proposal to incorporate the Roaming Regulation into the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, the proposal will be considered by the Council of the European Union.
Following the Council’s agreement, a Joint Decision by the EU-Moldova Association Committee in Trade Configuration will be required to amend the Association Agreement Annex.
The amendment will be made to incorporate the most recent EU legislation on telecoms and postal services.
Once the negotiations and implementation of the relevant EU legislation in the EU-Moldova Association Agreement are completed, Moldova and the EU will be in a position to agree to allow “roam like at home” to start.
The Republic of Moldova was granted the status of candidate of the European Union in June 2022 and since has expressed a strong interest in reflecting single market rules in the telecom sector.
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The European Union Commission shared its goal of bringing the Republic of Moldova into the EU’s “roam like at home” area, which has benefited millions of citizens across the EU already, and represents a fundamental element of the Single Market.
In addition, the Priority Action Plan for 2023-2024 between the EU and Moldova has been put in place to stimulate the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), signed between the EU and Moldova in 2014.
