Starting Thursday July 1st 2010.

A new EU Law will come into force regarding the maximum you will pay for making and receiving calls or data use whilst roaming from another European Union country.

Just last week, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled in favour of the Commission against the appeal brought by the major mobile operators, who felt that the EU executive had no right to set those rates.

The maximum price to make a call from another European country will be limited to 39 euro cents per minute (plus VAT), rather than the current 43 cents, while receiving a call will cost a maximum of 15 cents per minute (excluding VAT) instead of 19 cents. The price for SMS (text message) remains the same at 11 euro cents per message.

As regards Internet data access services from 1 July, the wholesale price cap of 1 euro will be reduced to 80 cents per megabyte (next year, the rate will fall to the 50 cents per megabyte).

In addition, a data service cap will be placed on peoples accounts of 50 euros excluding VAT unless you chose a higher or lower data tariff yourself.

Operators will also need to send users a warning (by text message, email or through a popup window) when they reach 80% of its maximum bill for roaming data services. The operator must also stop the mobile Internet connection when you reach the limit, unless the customer indicates otherwise.

European legislation provides for more cuts in the future, so by July 2011 the maximum roaming charges will be 35 euro cents per minute for calls.

So if your current provider is not offering this deal by July 1st 2010 then they are breaking the law and you might want to remind them of that.

Further information can be found here: Conectarse a Internet desde el extranjero: sin sorpresas en la factura desde el 1 de julio

PS: This ruling will be the same if you have a UK mobile and use it in Spain or any other European Union country but obviously you will be billed in UKP.