Dutch minister to send new postal law to parliament by end-2005
Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, Dutch minister for economic affairs, said he expects to send a new Postal Act to parliament by the end of 2005.
The minister was widely expected to give a progress report on the new postal law this month, after a debate already in parliament in June.
In a brief to parliament, Brinkhorst said he expects a debate on the new law in 2006 and reiterated his intention to liberalize the post market in 2007.
The Netherlands is working to open its market to competition earlier than the EU deadline of 2009, in order to help the national post operator TPG NV compete with rivals in the UK and Germany, where liberalization is also accelerating.
TPG still has a monopoly on letters up to 100 grams.
The government has also made reducing its stake in TPG dependent on an agreement on new postal legislation. The new law is expected to clarify universal service obligations and regulation of the domestic market, opening the way for a sale of shares in TPG.
The government still holds a 34.8 pct stake in TPG as well as a ‘golden share’ giving it special voting rights. The European Commission has threatened to take the country to court over the golden share, saying it distorts competition.
TPG spokesman Tanno Massar said that the latest brief from the minister contains ‘little news’.
While a sale of government shares could still go ahead before the new law is passed, Massar said, he noted that the decision ultimately rests with the finance ministry.
At the last sale of shares in TPG in 2001, the government said it intends to eventually lower its stake to around 10 pct. Relinquishing the golden share remains dependent on securing universal service obligations.
Spokesman William Lelieveld for the finance ministry declined to say when the government expects to reduce its stake in TPG. He reiterated that the golden share is dependent on securing certain public service obligations.
