ANACOM has brought together 120 representatives from 50 countries for three days in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, to discuss development of the postal sector in the European Union and in the Americas. Meetings of the European Regulators Group for the Postal Sector (ERGP), the Postal Regulation Forum 2019 and a joint workshop were held from 26 to 28 June.
The Postal Regulation Forum 2019, which is an initiative of the UPAEP Regulatory Affairs Working Group, seeks discussion of matters including evaluation of the planned changes in the remuneration system among designated operators; analysis of likely and important changes in the future postal environment in the event that the United States of America withdraws from the Universal Postal Union (UPU); and evaluation of regional actions and projects in the context of the development of postal regulation.
On 27 June, the Forum joined the ERGP in a workshop on "Regulatory Challenges in Europe and the Americas", taking an opportunity for an important exchange of experience with European postal regulators. Representatives of the European Commission, the US Department of State and the Chinese Government and to discuss future developments in the postal sector.
The ERGP Plenary meeting, chaired by João Cadete de Matos, Chairman of ANACOM, was held on 28 September. At the meeting, approval was given to the Opinion https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/36162/attachments/2/translations/en/renditions/native of this body on the review of the European regulatory framework for postal services (ERGP press release
https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/36201/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/native).
In its adopted Opinion, the ERGP advocates a forward-looking regulatory framework, taking into account technological developments and the changes already seen as occurring in terms of demand – changes which will become more acute in the future. The ERGP argues that the new framework should only allow for regulatory intervention in the event of current or potential market failure. The main objective of regulation should be to ensure the proper functioning of markets, with a view to competition and the provision of a universal service which guarantees the availability of a minimum set of postal services with a determined level of quality and at an affordable price.
The ERGP also stresses the importance of the new regulatory framework in providing Member States and national regulators with the flexibility to address specific problems in their national markets.
ERGP plenary meeting, 28 June 2019
UPAEP Postal Regulation Forum 2019, 26-28 June 2019
Further information:
- The European Regulators Group for Postal Services https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/postal-services/ergp_en
