Brussels, 29/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 29 April, EU Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier suggested at a conference in Valencia, Spain, on the future of the postal industry that a group of EU postal services regulators be set up in order to share experience rather than act as a policeman. Such a group could also examine challenges that have arisen during the transposition of the third postal directive (EU Directive 2008/6/EC) like ensuring the national regulator is independent, requirements imposed on new entrants, the length of time that universal postal services contracts will last, and reduced-rate VAT for some incumbent post offices and operators. The sensitive issue of collective bargaining (which the commissioner describes as “perfectly legitimate”) will also be discussed. He says they must not be used to set up barriers to new entrants. The commissioner wants to launch a wide reflection process on how postal services can help e-trade take off. EU Directive 2008/6/EC introduces the final liberalisation of national postal markets in January 2011, granting 11 member states a two-year breathing period (Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia). Countries that have opened up their markets by 2011 will be allowed to refuse to allow access to postal operators from the above-mentioned eleven countries that are being allowed to keep a monopoly over post. (M.B./transl.fl)