Calling back

Your front page last week was quite right (‘Socialists could block roaming law', 26 April-2 May). Operators and the Council of Ministers want users to have to ‘opt in' to the new lower phone roaming charges proposed by the Commission and supported by the Parliament.
With an ‘opt out', as supported by the Socialists and the Commission, users automatically get the cheaper phone charges, but can opt out to get an alternative rate if they wish. Does anyone seriously believe the operators will actively encourage or facilitate their customers to get the cheaper tariff imposed on them by the EU? One of them made it clear to the Commission – who completely support the line taken on the ‘opt in/opt out' issue taken by the Socialists – that it might mean ‘leaving a few leaflets in the shops'.
Any impression given by your article that Socialists and our allies are ‘blocking' the cap in roaming charges could not be further from the truth, and seems to be part of a blame game.
We made it clear from the very beginning: we want a simple and effective regulation which cuts prices and makes them available to everyone, and creates price transparency. We will hold tight to these principles and will resist all those forces, including the Council, trying to water down the Commission proposal. Consumers know where they stand with us. We want a good deal and will not let them be short-changed yet again.

Reino Paasilinna MEP, Joseph Muscat MEP and Robert Goebbels MEP
Brussels