Brussels, 14/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission will decide whether or not to sentence the German postal service Deutsche Post to a fine for having abused its monopoly in traditional mail to attract customers for other services, notably parcels. The enquiry was initiated following several complaints by parcel delivery service operators., among which the American group UPS (United Parcel Services). According to the plaintiffs, Deutsche Post injects part of its public subsidies intended to finance its traditional mail service, over which it has a monopoly, into its parcel service, so as to be able to practice "predatory" prices and attract the customers of its rivals, which cannot practice such advantageous prices. According to specialists, Deutsche Post risks a fine of between 500 and 800 million euro but the spokesman for Commissioner Monti, Michael Tscherny, did not want to comment on the issue: "I shall not anticipate anything at this stage, whereas a decision has not yet been taken", he declared. The decision the Commission is to make will be the third regarding Deutsche Post. Indeed, the operator was sentenced in 2001 to a 24 million euro fine for having abused its dominant position by grating loyal-customer discounts and selling at a loss on the commercial parcels delivery services market (see EUROPE of 21 March, 2001, p.12). In July 2001, it was a symbolic 1,000 euro fine to which the operator had been sentenced for having, intercepted, over-taxed and delayed incoming international mail, which it wrongfully considered as indirect internal mail (see EUROPE of 26 July 2001, p. 11).