Brussels, 25/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - Last Thursday, by 41 to 8 with 2 abstentions, the European Parliament's Regional Policy and Transport Committee adopted with the Council's common position on opening the EU's postal services up to competition, with a number of amendments (see EUROPE of 17 October 2001, p.12).
The German CSU rapporteur Markus Ferber and his predecessor Brian Simpson (Labour, UK) see the common position as an honest compromise between the Commission's initial document which pushed liberalisation too far, and the EP's position which defended the defence of public services too much. In a press release, Parliament stresses that is will be watching developments very closely and in the codecision process it will want to ensure that the entire transition period preceding greater opening be subject to strict control and that the power of Parliament be closely respected. Under the Council common position, Member States must open the following up to competition: from 2003 onwards, letter over 100g in weight or letter chose postal costs is more than three times higher the cost of a standard letter; from 2006 onwards - letters weighing 50g or more or letters for which the postal charges are two and a half times more than a standard letter; from 2003 onwards - all cross-border post (but Member States which need overseas post to ensure they provide a universal service may keep it). The compromise agreement the EU arrived at foresees that in 2006 the Commission will carry out a study of the impact on universal service in each Member State of full liberalisation of the post office in 2009 and will outline measures that might need to be taken in the light of the outcome of this study.
The vote in the Committee shows that the EP won what it wanted in terms of letter weight and prices, the way special services are being dealt with, outgoing cross-border mail and the three stages in the liberalisation process; In the amendments it tabled, the EP's Committee called for a return to the initial definition of ordinary internal post. Insofar as it is necessary to ensure universal service, the Committee called for Member States to be allowed to keep services in the hands of the suppliers of universal service. Parliament will debate the issue at its March plenary session in Strasbourg.