Deutsche Post rivals warn against extension of mail delivery monopoly

Deutsche Post World Net AG’s rivals have warned the government against extending the incumbent postal service’s mail delivery monopoly beyond 2008, daily Tagesspiegel.

‘Deutsche Post’s rivals have invested a lot of money to prepare for the liberalisation of the market. An extension would result in an enormous loss of trust,’ Ralf Wojtek, head of the Federal Association of International Express and Courier services, told the newspaper’s online edition.

Deutsche Post’s virtual monopoly on letter delivery for letters up to 50 grams is earmarked to expire at the start of 2008, with the EU seeking a continent-wide liberalisation of the market in 2009.

However, a broad alliance of politicians, businessmen and trade unionists is pressing the government to extend the monopoly in Germany until other EU countries end theirs.