EU Extends Free Roaming for Ukrainians for One Year
The European Commission on Wednesday, 10 July, said it welcomed the extension of roaming between the European Union and Ukraine for one year.
This is stated in an official statement by the EC.
This is the fifth extension of the voluntary roaming agreement between 22 European and 7 Ukrainian telecommunications operators, which aims to ensure that refugees from Ukraine can stay in touch.
"The Commission welcomes the fifth extension for another twelve months of the voluntary agreement between 22 European and seven Ukrainian telecommunications operators to ensure that refugees from Ukraine can stay connected," the statement said.
Telecommunications operators from the EU and Ukraine first signed a joint statement on coordinated efforts to ensure and stabilise affordable or free roaming and international calls between the EU and Ukraine in April 2022.
Affordable calls allow Ukrainians seeking asylum in Europe to stay in touch with family and friends in Ukraine and vice versa.
BEREC, the body of European electronic communications regulators, has certified the effectiveness of the agreement between operators in the EU and Ukraine.
Separately, in February 2023, the European Commission proposed that Ukraine join the EU roaming area. In April of the same year, the EU-Ukraine Association Committee approved the European Commission's proposal for Ukraine's accession to EU roaming rules.
In parallel, Ukraine has been working to fully align its legislation with EU legislation in order to integrate into the EU roaming space.
The basic law was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 18 June.
However, additional laws still need to be adopted, and after Ukraine reports full alignment, which is expected in the coming months, the European Commission will assess the compliance of Ukrainian national legislation.
Subject to a positive assessment by the Member States and a final decision by the EU-Ukraine Association Committee, Ukraine will become part of the EU roaming space, providing a more stable and long-term solution for roaming.