EU telecommunications ministers have backed rules slashing the cost of cross-border mobile phone calls by up to 70%.
The EU ministers support was widely expected after the European Parliament voted in favour of the price caps last month.
However, consumers are unlikely to benefit before September.
The new rules will limit the cost of making cross-border calls within the 27 countries to 49 cent a minute in the first year of application, while receiving a call could cost no more than 24 cent.
The ceiling for roaming services would then drop again in the second year.
In a statement today the European Commission welcomed the 'landmark' decision that will lower roaming charges by 70%.
'This decision paves the ways for cheaper roaming rates throughout the EU, a landmark for Europe as it clearly responds to the wishes of consumers,' commented EU Telecom Commissioner Viviane Reding.
She called on the Council to publish the EU Regulation in the next few days as millions of EU citizens are waiting for the lower charges.
According to data from September provided by the parliament, the average retail roaming rate at the moment is €1.15 per minute.
Member states still have to formally adopt the new rules on June 25 and then they have to be officially published on June 29.
However, consumers are unlikely to benefit before September because operators will have a month after the new rules take effect to make new offers to customers and then another month to change clients' contracts.
The European Commission first drew up proposals to regulate so-called roaming rates last year after finding evidence of huge variations between operators' prices, with some roaming calls costing up to six times those of local mobile calls.
