Strasbourg, 11/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 11 July, the European Parliament adopted its opinion in first reading on the draft directive on finishing off the internal postal market (see EUROPE 9289). As expected (see EUROPE 9465 and 9461), it agreed by a comfortable majority (512 to 156 with 18 abstentions) on the draft legislation fully opening up postal services to competition under certain conditions like the timetable and respect for workers' terms and conditions. The compromise deal agreed upon in the EP's transport committee was therefore accepted, and attention will now focus on EU telecoms ministers who may be called upon to give political approval in October 2007.
The MEPs rejected the GUE/NGL's calls for the draft directive to be rejected. The MEPs decided that full liberalisation of postal services should be achieved as follows: 1) keeping the universal postal service (UPS) unchanged, namely collection and delivery of post for all users at least five times a week; 2) opening up to competition by 1 January 2011 of the lasts section of the market that could still remain in public hands, namely dealing with post weighing less than 50 grammes; 3) giving two years' grace to member states joining the EU after 2004 and member states with a low population, small countries and countries with difficult terrain (a lot of islands, for example, like Greece); 4) adding a reciprocity clause to prevent monopolies in postal services from winning markets in other EU member states where there is already full competition; 5) the option for member states to fund public service duties by selecting from a non-exhaustive list of mechanisms (public tender, compensation funds paid by service providers and/or users, direct subsidies, etc); 6) the obligation on member states to notify the European Commission by 1 January 2010 of national funding plans for UPS; 7) the publication by the Commission of guidelines on calculating the net cost of public service obligations; 8) clarifying the authorisation process for postal operators; 9) the option for member states to impose conditions on the supply of postal services for non-economic reasons for general interest like respecting terms of employment and social security systems.
One of the amendments adopted by the European Parliament was tabled by Belgian Socialist Said El Khadraoui noting that each member state must ensure that the funding of universal postal services is guaranteed at all times in the fully liberalised postal market. The Greens/EFA group tabled an amendment authorising member states to demand that postal operators fully respect all labour regulations covering them, social security legislation and collective agreements among employers and trade unions. Also adopted was an amendment tabled by Olle Schmidt (EPP-ED, Sweden) noting that the necessary common costs for ensuring both universal service and non-universal service must not be borne solely by universal postal services.
Reactions. After the vote, rapporteur Markus Ferber (EPP-ED, Germany) said that the MEPs had confirmed all areas of the compromise deal agreed in committee. He said the EP's opinion should give new impetus to work at the Council. On the funding of the UPS, he said the deal took account of the principle of subsidiarity because member states can submit national funding plans. British Labour MEP Brian Simpson issued a press release noting that there was no way round liberalisation of the postal market but the EP had opted for controlled market opening. Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE, Italy) said 'We can no longer bury our heads in the sand. The world is changing and our postal services need to adapt and modernise yet remain accessible to all.' The Greens did not back the compromise because they want postal services to remain in remote areas without requiring huge state aid, and want to restore fair working conditions for private postal company workers, explained Austrian Eva Lichtenberger. (mb)