Brussels, 31/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has concluded an investigation that it had opened following a number of complaints about how cross-border mail was dealt with by the German postal services (for details see EUROPE of 29 and 30 May, p.13) and has decided to open formal proceedings by sending to Deutsche Post a "statement of objections". It considers that the Deutsche Post makes abusive use of its dominant position on the German domestic mail distribution market and that its "frequent and systematic interception, surcharging and delay of normal incoming cross-border mail infringes the competition rules of the European Union" in four ways: 1) by unfounded discrimination between different customers; 2) by refusing to carry out its distribution service in the normal way; 3) by applying an excessive price compared to the real costs or to the real value of the service provided; 4) by hampering the normal distribution of mail, thus being detrimental to the commercial activities of senders and the despatching postal operator.