Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a decision that marks a significant step toward joining Roam Like at Home (RLAH) with the European Union, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced.

"Today, we are making an important decision as part of securing a RLAH agreement with the EU. This will strengthen the connection between Ukrainians abroad and their homeland, their families, and loved ones. It will contribute to the unity and consolidation of the Ukrainian people," Shmyhal stated during a government meeting on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Ukraine has moved swiftly from submitting its application for EU membership to the opening of accession negotiations.

"As part of sectoral integration, key aspects include the agreements with the EU in trade, transport, energy, customs, and digital spheres. We aim to solidify these achievements permanently while also working toward securing an ACAA [Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products]," he added.

During the Cabinet meeting, the government approved a draft decision by the Ukraine-EU Association Committee in its trade configuration to amend Part A of Annex XVII-3 (Rules Applicable to Telecommunication Services) of Annex XVII to the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, the European Atomic Energy Community, and their member states, according to the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radiofrequency Spectrum and the Provision of Postal Services (NCEC).

Among other aspects, the document clarifies Ukraine's commitments concerning the list of EU acquis provisions to be implemented in order to obtain the EU internal market regime for roaming, the NCEC said on Facebook.

The regulator reported that the European side has already approved the draft decision by the Ukraine-EU Association Committee, and it is expected to be signed by both parties in the near future.

The commission recalled that in November 2024, at the NCEC's request, Ukraine initiated an assessment by the European Commission of its national legislation for compliance with EU acquis provisions regarding roaming. The assessment process is currently underway.

Earlier, European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen stated at a joint meeting of the Ukrainian government and the European Commission that the Commission would release its assessment of Ukraine's national legislation on roaming in March.

During the same meeting, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science, and Technology, Minister of Digital Transformation, expressed confidence that Ukraine would join the EU's Roam Like at Home (RLAH) program in the coming months.

He noted that Ukraine had implemented the necessary EU legal acts and submitted the relevant notification to the European Commission on November 7, 2024. A positive conclusion will enable Ukraine to obtain the internal market regime for roaming.

The next step will be a decision on mutual recognition and internal market access for roaming between Ukraine and the EU. Once approved by all EU member states, this will pave the way for the fourth and final stage – the actual launch of RLAH and its implementation by mobile operators.