The European Commission has proposed a new Directive that would fully open up the postal services markets of the EU to competition by 2009. The Commission’s proposal follows in the line of the 1997 Postal Directive (Directive 97/67/EC of 15 December) in force today.
The proposed full liberalisation of postal services brings an end to the monopolies or “reserved areas” which national postal operators currently have on correspondence items weighing less than 50g. Such liberalisation is, according to the Commission and to recent studies, the best way of preserving the universal postal service, while at the same time enhancing quality and diversity.
Meanwhile, the Commission’s proposal maintains the current obligation that each Member State has to ensure a high-quality and affordable universal postal service, and goes further in strengthening consumer protection and broadening the role of the national regulatory authorities. In fact the Commission has come up with a raft of solutions that Member States can choose from in order to finance and ensure the continuance of the universal service; these include state aids, compensation funds and cost sharing by the various operators.
The Commission further believes that, ultimately, liberalisation of the postal services market will foster new jobs, created by the new companies that are expected to enter the market and in the industries that depend on it.
The proposed Directive, which the Commission presented on 18 October, is expected to receive the approval of the Council in December 2006.
Further information:
- IP/06/1419 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/1419&format=HTML&aged=0&language=en&guiLanguage=en
- Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 97/67/EC, concerning the full accomplishment of the internal market of Community postal services http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/post/doc/legislation/proposal_en.pdf
- Report to the Council and the European Parliament: 'Commission's prospective study on the impact on universal service of the full accomplishment of the postal internal market in 2009' http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/post/doc/legislation/prospective-study_en.pdf
- Executive summary http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/post/doc/legislation/assessment-summary_en.pdf
- Detailed annex http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/post/doc/legislation/assessment-annex_en.pdf
- Report (Directive 97/67/EC as amended by Directive 2002/39/EC) http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/post/doc/legislation/application-report_en.pdf
- Detailed-Working Paper http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/post/doc/legislation/staff-working-paper_en.pdf
- Comissão Europeia - Mercado interno: serviços postais (em inglês) http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/post/index_en.htm
- Perguntas frequentes sobre os serviços postais na UE (em inglês) http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/383&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- Directive 97/67/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 15.12.1997 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=986228
- European Commission publishes studies on postal sector https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=379104
- Results of the public consultation on postal services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=377347
- Postal services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=4611
- Postal Directive Committee https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=109879
