Brussels, 22/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Commission announced it had opened an in-depth investigation into a series of funding measures taken by the United Kingdom in favour of Royal Mail, the UK's main supplier of postal services. The investigation follows complaints from Royal Mail's competitors in the newly liberalised UK postal market. The Commission will be examining the terms of each of the funding measures to determine whether they constitute State subsidies, and whether they meet market investor conditions. According to EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes: “The postal sector is increasingly open to competition, and it is important to reassure competitors that the advantages of that opening are not neutralised by illegal state subsidies. At the same time, I want to be clear that the Commission will also make sure any necessary financing intended to compensate the provision of the public service is not called into question”. (cd)