Expensive mobile phone roaming charges must be addressed urgently, according to Cork Fine Gael MEP Simon Coveney, who said 40 per cent of Irish people are not aware of the costs associated with using their cell phones when they are overseas.
Mr Coveney said more needed to be done to provide transparent information about roaming charges.
He called on communications ministers throughout Europe to help tackle the issue and halt "extortionate" phone charges.
"There were five million international trips undertaken by Irish people in 2004.
"Some 53 per cent of Irish people used their mobiles while abroad, and 40 per cent of Irish people are not aware of the costs associated with using their mobiles when abroad.
"This is a massive problem, and one mobile phone companies are taking advantage of.
"People still have to move around for business or personal reasons and they cannot be expected to sit back and continue to pay extortionate charges, " he added
The Cork MEP said mobile phone companies were blatantly taking advantage of customers, particularly business people who needed to phone Ireland from abroad as part of their work.
However, he said customers were becoming more aware of the extortionate costs and were increasingly turning to text messages, a cheaper form of communication, when abroad.
Mr Coveney added that regulators must intervene to require operators to increase the information available to consumers, and to simplify that information so there is a high level of understanding about the cost of using a mobile phone when in a foreign country.