The European Commission has opened talks to bring six Western Balkan partners into the EU’s “Roam Like at Home” scheme, which would allow travellers to use mobile calls, texts and data between the EU and the region without roaming surcharges.
The negotiations cover Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, the Commission announced on Friday.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the plan during a visit to the Western Balkans in October 2026.
Bilateral negotiations have now begun with each partner, the Commission said.
If agreements are concluded and the partners fully align with EU roaming rules — the regulations governing how telecoms providers apply charges when customers use their phones abroad — the Commission will then invite the Council of the EU to extend the EU roaming area.
What happens next
The Council of the EU authorised the opening of talks on extending the roaming scheme to the Western Balkans in June 2026.
Any agreements would be anchored to the existing Stabilisation and Association Agreements between the EU and the partners.
