Liberalization of Postal Services in the European Union

The opening of the European postal market to competition is gaining ground as Member States transpose the 1997 postal directive into their national legislation and private postal companies expand their market shares. Moreover, changing regulatory trends (e.g., the ever-lower weight and price limits delimitating the scope of the reserved area) encourage further growth in the continuing liberalization of this important network industry.

This book is based on a conference held in Brussels in February 2001, under the auspices of the Universities of Liège and Ghent and the Free University of Brussels. It provides an in-depth assessment of the challenges presented not only by the prospect of liberalization but also by the transition (of particular significance during the next few years) from the traditional monopoly system.

Among the critical matters discussed are the following:

• • terminal dues for international mail;
• • remail provisions;
• • the UPU and WTO constraints on the European postal market;
• • EU Commission decisions and ECJ case law interpreting the postal directive;
• • the effects of EC Treaty Articles 81 and 82 and the Merger Control Regulation; and
• • abuse of market power, especially by incumbent public postal operators.

In addition, there are specific country reports from five EU Member States (France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom) and Norway, bearing witness to the diversity of means adopted to implement the postal directive.