Tag: Germany

Deutsche Post and Selekt Mail file complaint against extension of mail monopoly in the Netherlands

Posted by | Jun 11, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post World Net and Deutsche Post Selekt Mail Nederland C.V. filed a joint complaint with the European Commission today to protest the renewed delay of the opening of the mail market in the Netherlands. Basis for the complaint is the Dutch government’s decision not to end the mail monopoly as planned on July 1, 2008, but to extend it indefinitely, thereby creating a competitive advantage for Post TNT of the Netherlands.

Through their decision, the Netherlands join the group of opponents against a liberalization who refuse the uniform opening of postal markets in Europe and continue to count on market foreclosure instead of competition.

Under the European law, a member state may reserve the national postal market exclusively for one provider only if this approach plays an essential role in financing the universal service. However, the statements of the Dutch government clearly show that the renewed delay only serves the interests of TNT. The Dutch government’s activities are, therefore, a clear violation of European legislation.

The allegation of an insufficient competition in the neighbor countries, especially in Germany, is just an excuse. The German postal market has been completely open since January 1, 2008. An indefinite delay protects the home market of the Dutch TNT that has been acting in Germany for years and that has unlimited business opportunities since the fall of the mail monopoly there.

In anticipation of liberalization, DP Selekt Mail, like other TNT competitors, has already made extensive investments. For this reason, Deutsche Post and DP Selekt Mail are calling on the Commission to act promptly and to eliminate the unacceptable distortion of competition contrary to European law in the Dutch postal market as soon as possible.

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Dutch minister sees no post liberalisation until fair competition in Germany and UK

Posted by | Jun 11, 2008 | |

Dutch Economic Affairs State Secretary Frank Heemskerk said Wednesday he won’t take the decision to liberalise the Dutch postal market until fair competition exists in the German and UK markets, and postal workers are given a satisfactory employment contract.

The statement came after Deutsche Post World Net AG. filed a complaint with the European Commission to protest against the renewed delay of the opening of the mail market in the Netherlands.

The Dutch government on Tuesday decided not to end the mail monopoly as planned on July 1 2008 but to extend it indefinitely.

Both the Dutch government and national carrier TNT NV are unhappy about the German government’s introduction of a sector-wide minimum wage of up to 9.80 euros, saying it prevents fair competition within the German market.

TNT says that, unlike its rivals, Deutsche Post enjoys an unfair advantage through a VAT exemption on 40 pct of its operations in Germany.

A Berlin court ruled in March that a German law imposing a minimum wage at all companies in the letter-carrier industry is illegal.

The German government appealed the decision, with a higher court expected to rule in September, a TNT spokesman said.

Heemskerk said he will update parliament on the situation by October 1

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German CEP operators expect moderate growth

Posted by | Jun 11, 2008 | |

Express and parcel delivery companies in Germany expect only moderate growth this year after 5 pct growth in 2007, according to an industry association.

Gunnar Uldall, former Hamburg economics senator and new president of the German International Express and Courier Services Association (BIEK), said that the CEP sector generated volume growth of nearly 5 pct and revenue growth of over 5 pct last year. Further moderate growth is expected for 2008. The association represents DPD, FedEx, Go!, Hermes, TNT and UPS.

The CEP industry was a key services sector with growing importance for the German economy, with its strong export focus, Uldall told a news conference. BIEK members had taken on about 3,000 more employees last year, and there is currently a need for qualified drivers, he noted. BIEK members employ about 65,000 staff directly or as self-employed drivers. There are about 173,500 people working in the German CEP sector as a whole.

Addressing key issues for the association, Uldall criticised Deutsche Post’s VAT exemption for letters up to 2kg and parcels up to 20kg which was a competitive distortion in the formally liberalised German mail market.

Since neither option was likely, however, BIEK proposed a compromise, with deliveries of up to 50 letters, including individual private letters, remaining VAT-exempt, and all other items, including bulk mail, parcels and added-value mail, being VAT-chargeable. This would not lead to a price increase for customers due to intense competition between Deutsche Post and private operators, Uldall said.

BIEK will also hold talks with Deutsche Bahn over opportunities to transport more express and parcel shipments by rail, and continue to promote the use of alternative fuels and motors to reduce CO2 emissions, he added.

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Deutsche Postbank set for sale (GER)

Posted by | Jun 9, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post is ready to sell Postbank and is expected to begin a formal sales process for the euro 10bn (USD 15.7bn) business within days, insiders say.

The move will herald a summer of dealmaking in Germany’s banking sector after Citigroup received a number of non-binding offers last week for its German retail business at the first stage.

International and domestic banks have expressed interest in both Postbank and the Citigroup operation, which are among the largest retail businesses in the fragmented banking sector.

A person with knowledge of Deutsche Post said “final discussions” were imminent about the future of Postbank

Deutsche Post has already had informal approaches since its former chief executive hinted that Postbank could be sold. Frank Appel, Deutsche Post’s new chief executive, has confirmed that Postbank should play an active role in banking consolidation and admitted his shareholders would reject further involvement in banking.

The postal and logistics group owns 50 per cent plus one share of Postbank, the former post office savings bank that is separately listed since an initial public offering in 2004.

Most analysts expect Postbank will be bought by a German lender, with Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, the two largest domestic banks, among those to have shown interest.

Allianz, the insurer, has also considered a bid for Postbank. One option jointly discussed by Commerzbank and Allianz is for a three way tie-up involving Commerzbank, Postbank and Dresdner Bank, Allianz’s banking subsidiary. However, bankers believe such a deal would be complex.

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Job cuts may be deal breaker in German bank merger

Posted by | Jun 6, 2008 | |

Three of Germany’s biggest lenders are mulling a merger that would create a new national banking champion but opposition to losing tens of thousands of jobs as a result could quickly render the plan unfeasible.

Commerzbank and Allianz are making a joint approach to buy the country’s biggest retail lender, Deutsche Postbank, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

A three-way tie-up involving Allianz’s Dresdner Bank unit would be big part of a broad shakeout of the German banking system triggered by a global credit crisis that has prompted massive writedowns and created deep uncertainty about future revenues among the country’s lenders.

Berlin would like to see a second big financial player that could hold its own on the international stage next to top lender Deutsche Bank, government sources have said.

With its nearly 15 million customers, Postbank is seen as a major prize in a fragmented banking market that is two-thirds dominated by public-sector and cooperative lenders.

But combining Commerzbank, Dresdner and Postbank could put 20,000 jobs at risk, services trade union Verdi has estimated.

A top Verdi official and Postbank supervisory board member threatened stiff resistance should Postbank parent Deutsche Post sell its 50 percent stake in the lender.

Financial sources said the German government was pushing to get the sales process moving to get a deal done while it still held a veto right over possible partners, a power it can exercise only until the end of the year.

Germany faces a general election next year, which may add pressure to get controversial bank mergers done quickly.

More than a third of Postbank’s 21,000 staff members are civil servants, a holdover from its history as a state enterprise, in effect guaranteeing they cannot be sacked.

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