Cheaper European mobile data roaming may move a step closer Thursday, when telecoms ministers from around the bloc meet in Brussels to discuss how they would implement the European Commission’s proposed price caps. In September, the commission, which is Europe’s policy-making wing, said it wanted to cap data roaming from an average €2.05 per megabyte to a nice round €1 per megabyte at the wholesale level. It also demanded a reduction in roaming SMS rates from an average €0.29 to €0.11.

SEE ALSO: EU Telecoms Commissioner Backs Down On Proposed Reforms

At the meeting, ministers are expected to agree a “general approach” on the commission’s call, with the commission hoping to put the fleshed-out proposal in the spring to the European Parliament and the council of ministers, both of which must agree before the rules can be implemented. Expect unsupportive mobile networks, fearful of losing data revenue, to lobby parliamentarians, though the commission acknowledges some countries want it to reduce data charges even further. If all that happens, the new prices could be in place by July 1, 2009, in time for the summer holidays.

The ministers will also debate the commission’s wider-ranging telecoms legislation reforms, including the principle of “graduated response”, which would allow ISPs to warn, then disconnect downloaders of illegal content in a so-called “three-strikes” approach. Parliamentarians in September passed an amendment which would force national media regulators to seek court permission before disconnecting customers; but the ministers, the commission said today, “appear unanimously opposed” to the amendment. Indeed, the very idea of disconnection would go against another topic due for discussion on Thursday - the notion that there should be “broadband for all” as part of a reformed guarantee of access to basic communication services.