Calling, texting or surfing online from other EU member states will get cheaper from today.

When travelling in the EU, mobile devices users will only pay a small amount on top of their domestic prices: up to 5 cents per minute of call made, 2c per SMS sent, and 5c per MB of data (excluding VAT).

This will be a short transition period since as from mid-June 2017, Europeans will pay the same price whether they use their mobile devices at home or somewhere else in the EU.

Commission Vice-President Ansip, responsible for the Digital Single Market, said: "We're in the home stretch now before the end of roaming charges in 2017. This is not only about Europeans saving money, this is about bringing down barriers in the Digital Single Market". The rules entering into force tomorrow also set the principle of net neutrality rules for the first time in EU law.

Commissioner Oettinger, in charge of the Digital Economy and Society, said:

"These rules protect the right of every European to access the online content of their choice, without interference or discrimination. They will avoid fragmentation in the single market, creating legal certainty for businesses and making it easier for them to work across border."

Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi, one of the key negotiators on this piece of legislation, hailed the moment as the end of a "very long battle" that began several years ago.

"It is on days like today that I realise how my work as an ‪MEP has a real impact on improving the daily lives of, not only ‪‎Maltese citizens but also of all ‪Europeans," Mrs Mizzi said.

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola said roaming fees were part of an outdated business model, and this massive reduction and phaseout was an important victory for consumers.

She welcomed the change as "a great example of the very noticeable benefits of having a single EU market."