Flags of the EU, Ukraine and Moldova, Photo: Shutterstock
Ukraine and Moldova have officially joined the European Union’s (EU) roaming area as of January 1, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighborhood announced via the X network.
“People from Ukraine and Moldova can now call, text and use their mobile data from local phone numbers to communicate with the 27 EU countries at no extra cost, and the same applies in the opposite direction,” the announcement reads.
In addition to being convenient and cost-saving, this step has profound significance for the EU’s enlargement agenda and indicates Brussels’ commitment to supporting the reforms and integration of candidate countries, even before full membership in the Union, writes the EUalive portal.
Similarly, Brussels’ goal for 2026 is to include the entire Western Balkan region in a “roam like home” mobile telephony regime, which would allow citizens of the six Western Balkan partners to make calls, send messages and use mobile internet in the EU at domestic rates.
The accession of Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania is planned for mid-2026.
This would follow the example of Moldova and Ukraine, which joined the EU roaming area on January 1.
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