EU set to impose new limits on charges for using mobile phone abroad

Mobile phone users in the EU could be in line for more savings.

In the wake of the cap on roaming charges in the European Union, a limit to the charge for calls and texts is now on the cards.

An agreement reached this week will mean firms will be allowed charge a maximum of 19 cents per minute for a call to another EU country, while the most a user can be charged for a text will be 6 cents.

Fine Gael MEP for Dublin Brian Hayes says the new rules could be in place very soon.

"My understanding is that this law will be in place for the starting point of next year," he said.

"When it came to roaming charges, it took nearly six years - but this issue of phone and text messaging really was an outcome of the agreement made on roaming charges. So the parliament put pressure on the Council to come to an agreement.

"So we're very confident that this will be done by early next year, if not before."

- Digital desk