Madrid hosted last 25-26 June the Postal Regulation Forum of the UPAEP. It was preceded by a seminar on cost accounting and universal service financing on the 24th.
This was the first time the UPAEP Regulation Forum met “autonomously”. Previous sessions had been held in Montevideo, Uruguay, during the Advisory and Executive Council (AEC) week and together with various meetings that usually take place at that time, as decided by the last Congress (Cuba, 2013), the aim being to strengthen and enhance regulation activities in the UPAEP.
The forum’s first session considered the situation of postal regulation worldwide. Speakers included representatives from the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and other restricted unions (regional organisations) in its scope.
The main idea resulting from the presentations and subsequent discussion was the existence of very diverse situations among regions and even inside some of them, with respect to the postal sector’s legal and regulatory framework. Also debated was the role the UPU and regional organisations can play to facilitate a more balanced global regulatory environment and support postal sector development in countries where it faces more problems.
Another session focused on regulation in the UPAEP scope, specifically in its member countries. Several countries gave presentations on national policies and the respective regulatory framework applicable to the postal sector. Once again the different development stages among the region’s countries were clear, along with the notable effort by some countries, with UPAEP and UPU support, to develop and strengthen their postal sectors at both regulatory and operational levels, so they can better face the challenges of a changing global market.
Presentations were also given on various matters of regulatory interest to develop for the future:
- Argentina presented a proposal it intends to submit to the 2016 UPU Congress, proposing reinforcement and recognition of regulatory activity in the UPU, requesting the support of UPAEP members and that the other restricted unions should publicise it so support can be gathered from the respective members. The proposal was strongly supported by the countries present;
- Spain gave a presentation on international regulation (specifically in the context of the UPU’s instruments) and user rights, urging that the processes and means involved (e.g. electronic communications media) should be streamlined to improve and more expeditiously serve the interests of postal service customers;
- The UPAEP secretary general gave a presentation on development of the postal legal framework in the scope of UPAEP member countries and on support that organisation can provide them in that context.
The seminar held before the forum was more technical and addressed a more specialised audience. It considered the basic concepts of cost accounting as a regulatory instrument and provided a very detailed overview of its practical application in Spain’s designated postal operator. This is a matter that is still not part of the regulatory reality of some participants, while for others it is a recent concern resulting from recently adopted regulatory frameworks, whereby it was a subject of much curiosity.
An important idea resulting from the presentations and corresponding explanations was that cost accounting is not just a major regulatory instrument it is also an extremely useful financial management tool for the postal operators’ managers.
Lastly, ANACOM gave a presentation on universal service financing, considering the historic and regulatory framework of cost accounting’s implementation by the universal service provider in Portugal.
That presentation raised a great deal of interest and requests for clarification among the participants, especially regarding the national regulatory framework vis-à-vis the definition, provision and financing of universal service, given that the national and European Union reality in this area is quite different from that found in their countries.
The date and place of the next session of the UPAEP Regulation Forum are not yet determined, though the forum is expected to take place on an annual basis.
