Brussels, 08/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - At the 11 December Transport Council, EU ministers in charge of postal services will hold a public debate on the draft directive to conclude the Single Market in postal services (see EUROPE 9282 and 9289). In a preparatory document, the Finnish Presidency asks delegations to list the vital issues to be focussed on by the Council's preparatory bodies when examining the European Commission's draft legislation. EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy will brief ministers on the draft legislation at the Council meeting.
A group of experts at the Council started examining the European Commission's draft directive last month, also considering the impact study accompanying the draft directive. The Council noted that the study considered the main impact of the various options, both positive and negative, in line with the European Commission guidelines. Discussion of the draft directive itself will start in the first half of 2007.
Member States form two broad groups with regard to the proposals. Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the UK and Sweden want full liberalisation of postal services and opening up to competition the handling of letters and packages less than 50g in weight in 2009. Germany will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2007 and is planning to make postal services a priority with a view to reaching agreement at the Council in June 2007. Belgium, Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Luxembourg, and Poland have reservations about the initiative and want assurances about the funding of a universal public service which the European Commission wants to retain while leaving Member States free to decide on how to actually fund it. The postal services legislation will be adopted using the 'codecision' procedure, whereby both Council and the European Parliament will legislate together. (mb)