| NOTAS: | "Ensuring the provision of universal services is one of the main goals of the Postal Services Directive (PSD)1. Another goal regards the full accomplishment of the internal market of Community postal services, with the gradual liberalisation of the market in all Member States, which was fully completed by 1 January 2013. Since then, the market has changed fundamentally. The digitalization has had a strong impact on postal markets: e-substitution has led to a sharp decline in letter mail services (items of correspondence), and at the same time, the rapid growth of e-commerce has led to a significant increase in parcel volumes. Postal service providers reflected these changes and accommodated their services to the technological developments and available innovations in delivery. Despite the fundamental changes in the postal sector, provisions on Universal Service (US) remain unchanged, without any substantial modifications since their introduction in 1997." |
