European
Union Postal Services Policy
The97/67/EC
Postal Services Directive implemented the first steps towards a
harmonised approach to postal services within the European Union. The Directive
was transposed in the UK through the Postal
Services Regulations 1999, which were superseded by the Postal
Services Act 2000.
On 10 June 2002 the
European Parliament and the Council adopted a Second
Postal Services Directive (2002/39/EC) amending Directive 97/96/EC, with regard to further opening to competition
of European Community postal services. The Postal
Services (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 which transpose this Directive
were laid before Parliament on 11 December 2002 and came into force on 1 January
2003. The transposed Directive reduced the area that may be reserved from 350
grams to 100 grams (80p) from 1 January 2003 and will further reduce it to 50
grams (65p) from 1 January 2006.
Detailed background
information can be found below and further information on the European Union's
postal services policies can be found on the European
Commission's Postal Services Website.
Tell me more about
Postal
Services Act 2000
Postal
Services Regulations 1999
Postal
Services (EC Directive) Regulations 2002
Useful website links
97/67/EC
Postal Services Directive
European
Commission's Postal Services Website
Useful documents
Second
Postal Services Directive (2002/39/EC) 
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Detailed
Background
The European Union established its policy in the postal sector as a result
of several convergent factors:
-
the growing needs of users and consumers for faster and more reliable basic postal services;
-
new demand for value-added services (express) embracing documents, parcels and freight;
-
the potential use of more available and powerful technological tools and transport means.
The policy for a
gradual liberalisation of the postal sector was adopted following a widespread
debate on a Green Paper published in June 1992 by the European Commission.
The overall objective
is the implementation of the Single Market for postal services, by opening up
the sector to competition in a gradual and controlled way, within a regulatory
framework which assures a universal service. The improvement of the quality of
service, in particular in terms of delivery time and affordable tariffs, are
fundamental aspect of this policy.
The 97/96/EC Directive
set as the threshold of services which could be reserved to a universal service
provider, letters weighing no more than 350 grams and costing no more in postage
than five times the tariff for the basic weight step.
The 97/96/EC Directive
provided common rules on:
-
the provision of a universal postal service within the European Community;
-
the criteria defining the services which may be reserved for universal service providers and the conditions governing the provision of non reserved services;
-
tariff principles and transparency of accounts for universal service provision;
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the setting up of quality standards for universal service provision and the setting up of a system to ensure compliance with those standards;
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the harmonisation of technical standards;
-
the creation of independent national regulatory authorities.
The Second Postal Services Directive (2002/E39/EC) should have been implemented in Member States by 1 January 2003, and:
-
reduced the threshold for reserved services to 100 grams or three times the tariff for the basic weight step (80p) from the 1 January 2003; and to 50 grams or two and a half times the tariff for the basic weight step (65p) from 1 January 2006;
-
made provisions for transparency of accounting and complaints handling to be strengthened;
-
prohibited cross-subsidisation of universal services outside the reserved sector out of revenues from services in the reserved sector (except to the extent which is shown to be strictly necessary to fulfil specific universal service obligations);
-
required the national regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with he obligations arising from the Directive.
Before transposition in the UK, The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (responsible for ensuring implementation of the Directive) invited the postal regulator (Postcomm) to undertake, on her behalf, a written consultation seeking views on how best to implement the new provisions. Postcomm's consultation on the new Directive closed at the end of October 2002 and Postcomm submitted its advice to the Secretary of State for consideration. A copy of the consultation and that advice has been published on the Postcomm website. The Postal Services (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 which transpose the Directive were laid before Parliament on 11 December 2002 and came into force on 1 January 2003. Copies can also be ordered in printed format from The Stationery Office (ISBN ref: 0110443977).
Useful website links
Postcomm - http://www.psc.gov.uk
The Stationery Office - http://www.tso.co.uk/bookshop/bookstore.asp