The European Commission (EC) has stated its support, in a communication to the European Parliament (EP) dated 9 November 2007, for the common position of the Council with regard to the amendment of Directive 97/67/EC on the full accomplishment of the internal market of Community postal services.
The Commission ''takes the view that the common position fully reflects the key elements of its initial proposal'', which was presented on 19 October 2006, ''and of the amendments of the European Parliament made in the first reading.'' The Parliament's amendments concern in particular the final date for the implementation of the amending Directive (31 December 2010), the possibility for some Member States to postpone full market opening by two more years as a maximum and the inclusion of a temporary reciprocity clause applying to those Member States that make use of the latter transitional period.
The objective of the EC's proposal is to create a common postal market in the EU by the following means:
- the abolition of the reserved area in all Member States;
- confirmation of the scope and standard of universal service;
- reinforcement of consumers' rights and upgrading of the role of national regulatory authorities;
- offering of a list of measures Member States may take to safeguard and finance, if necessary, the universal service.
Consult:
- Communication from the Commission COM(2007) 695 final, of 9.11.2007 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=986445
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- European Parliament propose postal liberalisation in 2011 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=501958
- Postal services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=333953
