EU Postal Market: 25 years and 3 Directives later – time for a comprehensive overhaul

𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘙𝘎𝘗 (𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴) “𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦”, 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘢, 24 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 2022.

Although the Universal postal Service Obligation (#USO) applies in all the #ERGP member states (#MS), national variations in its #implementation are more the rule than the #exception. For example, the #significant #decline in letter #volumes is putting pressure on the #frequency of #delivery. Most MS set a 5-day week delivery frequency but grant exceptions, although these only affect a limited part of the #population.

Despite a short recovery in 2018, the general #decrease in Quality of Service for priority #mail #delivery times since 2014 #demands attention. It averaged 80% D+1 in the Union in 2021.

In terms of #sustainability and #financing the USO, 18 MS have a #compensation #fund, although only 7 have activated this #resource. Other sources of financing may become necessary. 

23 of 30 ERGP member countries have reviewed the USO over the past decade. Their recommendations are to:

-Reduce #delivery #quality within the USO;
-Modify the definition of „letters“ according to content;
–#Change services covered by the USO by including new/excluding existing services; 
-Set financing mechanisms to cover net cost or abolish the #funding mechanism; and
-Change the #price control mechanisms.

The #EU’s Postal Service Directive will be revised. #Legislation is likely to shift from a #focus on postal letter #production and #processing to an item #delivery and customer-centric focus.  There is general consensus that:

-The USO is essential;
-Certain aspects of the USO are less relevant as user needs change;
-Balanced trade-offs are needed between the service level and #cost of the USO, while safeguarding users’ #needs;
-Targeted #measures are needed to #meet the needs of a potentially limited group affected by the #policychange;
-The USO should be defined at European level, but with the MS and their NRAs given #flexibility in its #implementation; 
-The USO should only cover basic services which would otherwise not be provided on a regular #commercial basis;
-Essential: the USO must cover citizens living in remote or rural areas, and/or vulnerable users;
-Quality of service, decent #workingconditions & #wages are all included in the USO; and
-The USO should reflect #parcel #growth as part of a “Delivery Service Directive”