EU’s bold move for Western Balkans
The European Commission has recently proposed to open negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to integrate them into the EU’s ‘Roam Like at Home’ regime.This ambitious proposal aims to dissolve the digital barriers between the EU and its Western Balkan partners. Once the agreements are finalised and rules are aligned, people travelling between these regions will be able to make calls, send texts, and use mobile data without any extra surcharges.
This move promises seamless connectivity at domestic rates, benefitting citizens and businesses alike. The Commission seeks Council authorisation to begin these bilateral talks. This proposal is a concrete example of the EU’s approach to gradual integration ahead of full accession, aiming to progressively integrate Western Balkan partners into the EU’s Single Market.
The plight of UK consumers and failed negotiations
While this is positive news for the Western Balkans, the UK is losing out. The disparity highlights the growing isolation UK consumers face. Since January 2021, several UK mobile providers have brought back roaming charges, increasing bills for travellers. This is a particular issue for Northern Ireland, where “inadvertent roaming” is often unavoidable. Over 818,000 people in Northern Ireland live in border areas, and some homes even straddle the border. While operators are not currently charging fees between Northern Ireland and Ireland, nothing prevents them from doing so in future.
The UK secured a roaming agreement with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway in 2022, but this does not help UK consumers travelling to the EU. According to a 2025 article in The Independent, efforts by ministers to return free roaming appear doomed. The report reveals that Keir Starmer tried to persuade EU negotiators to allow the UK back into the “Roam Like at Home” deal, but southern European nations like Spain and Italy objected. They fear their citizens might end up subsidising British holidaymakers. A 2019 government memorandum had actually predicted that roaming charges would rise after Brexit because the UK could no longer limit wholesale charges.
This passivity was confirmed in a recent House of Commons exchange (November 2025). When asked about negotiating to abolish charges, Kanishka Narayan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, stated that since the UK is no longer party to the EU Roaming Regulation, it is entirely up to mobile operators to decide whether to impose surcharges. This admission highlights a lack of political will to protect consumers.
The UK is falling further behind. Several months ago, concerns were raised when Ukraine and Moldova were considered for EU roaming frameworks. Now, with the Western Balkans consultation, the UK is at an even greater disadvantage. It is a bitter irony that the UK, a close neighbour and major trading partner, is bypassed while others are integrated.
Operator profits and the capacity for change
It is important to look at the financial position of the providers imposing these fees. Three of the UK’s biggest networks – EE, Vodafone, and Three – have brought back roaming fees for the EU (except for the Republic of Ireland). However, their results show they are making massive profits and could easily afford to let customers use their phones abroad at no extra cost.
In 2025, EE made around £9.6bn in sales, with a profit of about £2.48bn. Vodafone UK had sales of £6.04bn and a profit of £1.33bn. Three UK made £2.71bn in sales and a profit of £541mn. After Vodafone and Three merged in May 2025 to become VodafoneThree, their combined profit was estimated at £1.58bn. These numbers prove that these companies have more than enough money to cover the cost of roaming without charging customers extra.
A call for government and parliamentary action
The current situation is unsustainable. It is time for the Labour government to break the self-imposed barrier in its manifesto regarding not rejoining the EU’s Single Market. The government should prioritise the economic benefits and consumer rights that come with closer integration.
This logic should extend to digital regulation. Instead of persisting with the divergent Online Safety Act and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, the UK should seek to join the EU’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. Adopting these frameworks would ensure consistent protections and a stable environment for businesses.
If the government refuses to act, Parliament must step in. MPs and Peers should change legislation to compel action, perhaps by exploring EFTA membership to rejoin the European Economic Area (EEA) or by passing a specific law to make “Roam Like at Home” a statutory requirement. This would ensure UK consumers are no longer penalised when travelling abroad.
Conclusion
The UK stands at a crossroads where consumer choice and fair pricing are being eroded. While nations like Ukraine, Moldova, and now the Western Balkans join the EU’s digital family, British travellers face unnecessary fees. The government’s attempts to negotiate a reset have stalled. It is imperative that the Labour government re-evaluates its stance on the Single Market. If not, Parliament must push for EEA membership or pass laws to mandate roaming protections. The cost of inaction is paid by millions of ordinary people. The UK must not be content with being in a position where moving across a border results in a financial penalty, a predicament it now shares alongside Switzerland and certain European microstates that are not EU members.
To polish the piece, I used AI assistance for spellings, grammar, and readability, but all content, analysis, and arguments are my own work.
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