The EU commission has once again flexed its muscle against the main UK mobile networks and intends to champion the cause for UK mobile users on holiday in Europe this summer.

UK mobile users have already begun adopting Global SIM cards or International SIM cards to avoid mobile roaming charges abroad, but now the EU commission plans to add pressure to the big UK networks in terms of capping their EU revenue opportunities.

Following through on its threats to substantially cut roaming data costs if networks didn’t make the necessary changes themselves, as of now rates have been cut to one euro per megabyte. That is exactly the rate Orange generously “offered” its customers last week courtesy of its Travel tariff. On the plus side T-Mobile has beaten that with its own version which starts from 3MB for £1.

On top of this new enforcement providers are obliged to cut off their subscribers when their bill reaches 50 Euros as of 1 July 2010. This can be changed if the customer specifically wants it, though a warning must also be sent once a bill approaches 80 per cent of its chosen limit. “Protection against data roaming bill shocks is a useful step towards building customers’ confidence to use mobile networks to surf the Internet when travelling around Europe,” said Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes. “Such confidence is essential if people and businesses are to use the Internet to its full potential.”

Aside from the data price reductions mobile roaming calls will see the maximum rate for making a call cut to 0.43 Euros and 0.19 Euros for receiving one. Texts will be charged at 0.11 Euros and are free to receive.Having said that UK consumers can still keep a step ahead of the EU commission’s new controls by adopting Global SIM, International SIM or a French SIM card for example. Not only are outgoing rates 15% cheaper than roaming with a UK SIM, all incoming calls are free and text rates are similarly priced and also free to receive.

“It’s a shame that despite the huge numbers of complaints, mobile operators dragged their feet and we have had to use the full force of the law to get consumers a fair deal on prices,” said Labour European Parliamentary representative Arlene McCarthy.