Brussels, 30/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - There will be a vote at the European Parliament on Thursday 31 January on the draft directive completing the internal postal market by opening it up to competition for mail weighing less than 50 grams. This will include the Council's common position on this dossier, in compliance with the recommendation from its transport and tourism committee (EUROPE 9568). On Wednesday 30 January during the evening plenary debate, Andrej Vizjak, the Slovenian minister of the economy was pleased to announce that, “tomorrow, you will make a financial decision reaffirming our in principle agreement defining the Council's common position”.
The Council's common position includes: definitive liberalisation of the postal sector by the end of 2010 in the EU; extended deadlines of two years 11 member states (Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia); a reciprocity clause in European legislation authorising member states that have opened up their markets before the end of 2012 to refuse access to operators that still have a monopoly in 2011-12. The Council has included other mechanisms (funds, public procurement, state aid) to finance obligations under the universal postal service, which has not been modified legislative revision. (M.B.)