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EU bank cards will mostly allow free withdrawals across Europe (with some strange exceptions). Some countries like Belgium have fully prohibited national banks from charging customers of rival banks. It's not a technical/financial issue, it's a policy choice...

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/financial-pr...

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Regulation only says it must be the same price as at your own bank. If you have a cheap bank at home you have it in the whole Euro zone. If you have poor bank competetion in your home country and pay more you have the same issue when traveling in the Euro zone.

They still charge you for the privilege of using a card though.

I have 3 cards that don't cost me a Euro cent. 1 is debit, 1 is de facto debit because the credit limit is nominal so I cannot spend money that I don't have in my account. The 3rd one requires me to pay the bill 2 weeks after its issued to avoid (high) interest. But they are all free if used correctly.

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