CTT is obliged, pursuant to the Universal Postal Service Concession Contract (Concession ) of 01 September 2000 1, as amended on 9 September 2003 2 and on 26 July 2006 3, to provide the universal postal service, which encompasses a postal service for items of correspondence (including addressed publicity), books, catalogues, newspapers and periodicals up to 2 kilograms of weight and parcels up to 20 kilograms of weight, as well as a service for registered items and a service for sending items of declared value, provided on a national and international basis.
The provision of a subset of these services, which are included in the universal postal service (in accordance with point b) of paragraph 1 of Clause 2 of the Concession) are reserved exclusively to CTT. Since 1 January 2006 items of correspondence weighing less than 50 grams have been reserved to CTT, provided that the price is less than two and a half times the reference price (price of a letter of 20 grams sent using national priority mail ("correio azul")). Items of outgoing international correspondence, direct mail, registered correspondence and correspondence of declared value are included within the reserved area, within the limitations of weight and price.
The remaining postal services which are not included in the definition of reserved services may be provided by the concessionaire of the universal postal service, CTT, or by natural or legal persons who are duly authorized to that effect in accordance with and pursuant to Decree-Law no 150/2001 of 7 May, as amended by Decree-Law no 116/2003 of 12 June.
It is incumbent on ICP-ANACOM, as postal regulator, to review the quality and price of postal services covered by the US - in accordance with paragraph c) of paragraph 2 of Article 18 of the Basic Law for Postal Services 4.
1 Concluded in accordance with and pursuant to the Bases of the Universal Postal Service Concession, approved by Decree-Law no 448/99 of 4 November.
2 Following amendments to the Bases of the Concession introduced by Decree no 116/2003 of 12 June.
3 Following amendments to the Bases of the Concession introduced by Decree no 112/2006 of 9 June.
4 Law no 102/99 of 26 July, with the wording set forth by the cited Decree-Law no 112/2003 of 12 June.
