THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 114 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee [OJ C 177, 11.6.2014, p. 64.],

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions [OJ C 126, 26.4.2014, p. 53.],

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure [Position of the European Parliament of 3 April 2014 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and position of the Council at first reading of 1 October 2015 (OJ C 365, 4.11.2015, p. 1.). Position of the European Parliament of 27 October 2015 (not yet published in the Official Journal).],

Whereas:

(1) This Regulation aims to establish common rules to safeguard equal and non-discriminatory treatment of traffic in the provision of internet access services and related end-users' rights. It aims to protect end-users and simultaneously to guarantee the continued functioning of the internet ecosystem as an engine of innovation. Reforms in the field of roaming should give end-users the confidence to stay connected when they travel within the Union, and should, over time, become a driver of convergent pricing and other conditions in the Union.

(2) The measures provided for in this Regulation respect the principle of technological neutrality, that is to say they neither impose nor discriminate in favour of the use of a particular type of technology.