EU postal reforms: Germany wants agreement by June
Germany, which will take over the revolving EU presidency for the first half of 2007, plans to reach an agreement between member states on postal liberalisation by the end of June, diplomatic sources told Agence-France Presse.
A European diplomat said Germany has the ‘ambitious goal’ of getting the highly sensitive text approved at a meeting of European ministers in June.
The proposals will also have to be approved by the European Parliament.
On October 18, the commission announced moves to free up the market for letters in Europe, following on from the commission’s 2002 directive on parcels and letters over 50 grams.
Currently, historical operators still hold national monopolies on letters weighing less than 50 grams in Europe, also called the ‘reserved area’.
Germany is seen as one of the member states that has gone furthest with liberalisation of postal services.
In October, Klaus Zumwinkel, chief executive of the Deutsche Post, said ‘Liberalisation that allows healthy competition is the only way forward. We are ready to embrace it’.
