All comers to gain access to post office network

Following a European Union directive to liberalize mail markets by 2009, the Cabinet is expected today to approve a measure to allow outside operations to gain access to Spain’s post office infrastructure.

Under the proposal, state and private postal operations will be able to use the Correos’ network, including its employees and vehicles, to offer their own services. Delivery firms such as Germany’s Deutsche Post and Holland’s TNT, as well as private companies, already operate in Spain but do not have access to Correos’ infrastructure.

The Spanish postal service, which is this year marking its 250 anniversary, has more than 4,000 offices throughout the country with 65,000 employees. According to the EU, postal services handle about 135 billion items a year amounting to Euro88 billion in revenue or one percent of community GDP.