Brussels, 19/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 19 September, member states' ambassadors to the EU (COREPER) discussed the draft directive to complete the internal postal market (see EUROPE 9289). The working group has reached broad consensus on the essential points of the Commission's proposal while taking due account of the European Parliament's first reading opinion, said the Council memo to the ambassadors. It went on to say that nevertheless, new discussions and guidelines on the path to be followed were necessary on two major problems: whether or not express courier services should be included in the scope of the universal service, and the final date(s) for the definitive opening up to competition of handling of mail weighing less than 50 grammes. The outcome of the ambassadors' meeting was not known at the time of going to press, but it seems very likely that a decision on the second issue will have to be taken by the competent ministers at the Telecommunications Council on 1 October.
Express. The debate on whether or not to bring services provided by express courier companies (DHL, Chronopost, UPS and many others) within the scope of the universal postal service was “very stormy at the moment,” said an expert. Under the terms of the compromise proposed by the Portuguese presidency and the EP amendments backed by the Commission, the services in question should not be part of the universal service. The presidency is trying to be clearer on this exclusion by noting that these services cannot by definition be “substitutable to universal service”. Italy, with strong support from Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Luxemburg, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia, has proposed a more flexible form of words. They want to avoid any “creaming off”, said the above-mentioned expert, that is, allowing new entrants on the express courier market to free themselves too easily from requirements of the universal service.
Date. Taking account of the EP's first reading opinion (see EUROPE 9466), the Portuguese presidency has proposed full liberalisation of the postal sector from 31 December 2010 at the latest (see EUROPE 9495). Two further years will be granted to member states which request them no later than six months before the future directive comes into effect. Likely to make such a request are Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Poland and Slovakia. The presidency is planning to include a reciprocity clause, which would mean that a member state which opened its market before the end of 2012 could, in 2011 and 2012, prevent a historic monopoly from taking over markets in formerly reserved segments. (mb)