Dutch government decides against opening Dutch postal market on July 1
The Dutch government decided on Friday against opening up the Dutch postal market to competition on July 1, stressing there are too many uncertainties to allow for full liberalisation.
The Cabinet said in a statement the wage accord agreed between unions and a number of new postal operators still offers insufficient certainty regarding a postal sector collective labour agreement.
The government also said the situation in the German postal market and the impediments for Dutch companies there means there is insufficient reason to agree to an opening of the Dutch market.
The Cabinet will continue to urge the European Commission to undertake action to allow competition in various European postal markets.
It added that the decision to delay liberalisation in the Netherlands does not mean the country’s postal market will remain closed to competition as an EU agreement stipulates that all countries open up their postal markets by December 31, 2010.
Newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad earlier reported on Friday that a parliamentary majority was in favour of opening up the Dutch market from July 1, a decision that would see former state company TNT NV lose its monopolist position for parcels less than 50 grams.
