THE EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER for Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, has today called for an end to mobile roaming in Europe in a speech to the European Parliament.

Speaking this morning, Kroes asked the parliament to join her in rushing to complete a package on single market telecoms legislation by Easter 2014.

“I want us to show citizens that the EU is relevant to their lives,” she said. “That we made the digital rules catch up with their legitimate expectations. I want you to be able to go back to your constituents and say that you were able to end mobile roaming costs.”

The commissioner also said that she wanted to push forward on a guarantee of net neutrality and “take real action” on cybercrime and other threats.

She told the parliament that she believed they could deliver a package including these measures by Easter 2014 saying that, while it would be good for the economy, it would also be about “people rather than numbers”.

Take the young generation – the generation that cares most about being connected, but who votes the least. They need a strong and digital economy to escape the unemployment trap. Think also about our aging population: the people who need new digital services to stay healthy and active, without losing their dignity and independence.

Kroes said that the parliament needs to consider “all of the pieces of the jigsaw” and not only personal favourites or the “visible and sexy changes”.

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