29 January 2008

Postal Services: MEPs adopt the Directive

The postal service monopolies will end as from 2011. We have a good package on the table. Consumers and service providers are going to profit from more competition and innovative products on the postal market.

On Wednesday 30 January, the European Parliament adopted the report "Postal services: creating a single market, further opening of the market to competition" on the third Postal Services Directive, which concludes the opening-up of Europe's postal services markets. The vote leads to a final stage of the 15-year process of liberalising postal services in the EU Member States by opening them up to competition, while accepting the differences of opinion regarding the speed of liberalisation and ensuring a universal service for consumers. The postal sector is of major economic importance, generating an annual turnover of approximately 1% of EU GDP, and providing employment to ca 1.7 million people. To avoid market distortions up until 31 December 2012, when all transitional periods expire, service providers acting in a reserved area in their own country shall not be granted a licence in other Member States. The aims of the new legislation are to get the national monopolies to open up to competition (as has already happened in the telecom and energy sectors), to harmonise the performance of postal services across the Member States and to respond to the modern means of communication in form of electronic communication.

Information file on the Postal services directive

31/01/2008	Postal Services: European Parliament adopts EPP-ED approach. Markus Ferber MEP
30/01/2008	Postal services: European Parliament to adopt directive. Markus Ferber MEP
18/12/2007	Postal services: EP Transport Committee endorses agreement on postal services. Markus Ferber MEP

	18/10/2006: Commission press release: Postal services: Commission proposes full market opening by 2009
	18/10/2006: Commission Memo: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Postal Services
	01/10/2007: European Council document on the Internal Market of Community Postal Services
	11/10/2006: European Council Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council Conclusions

11/07/2007	Libéralisation postale : une concurrence encadrée, au service des usagers. Christine de Veyrac, MdPE
11/07/2007	Postal Services: EU liberalisation until 2011 at the latest. Markus Ferber MEP
27/03/2007	Libéralisation postale: le Parlement et le Conseil doivent reporter la date d'ouverture. Christine de Veyrac, MdPE

	EPP-ED Group site on the Committee on Transport and Tourism
	EPP-ED Group site on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee

	The Committee on Transport and Tourism website
	The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee website
	Website of Markus Ferber MEP
	European Parliament information document Postal services: open to competition by 2011, but subject to safeguards
	European Commission DG Internal Market site on the Postal Services
	European Commission DG Competition site on the Postal Services

	Website of Internal Commissioner Charlie McCreevy
	Website of Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes
	Website of Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot