Tag: La Poste

ARCEP Chair Paul Champsaur presentation in the French National Assembly

Posted by | Oct 11, 2007 | |

In a speech before the Committee on Economic Affairs of the French National Assembly Paul Champsaur, ARCEP Chair, said he is happy with the political compromise on postal liberalization reached by the EU as it safeguards the universal service and leaves posts ample time to prepare. Mr. Champsaur added that he is confident that La Poste will have completed its transformation by 2011 and will be able to withstand competition when the market is fully liberalized on 1 January 2011, especially in an environment where competition is expected to grow at a slow pace. While Mr. Champsaur hopes that financial compensation for the universal service burden will not be needed, he affirms that principles of a compensation fund will be worked out with stakeholders in the meantime, in case such a funding mechanism is required. In addition, Mr. Champsaur said the progressive steps that key neighboring countries took before they fully opened up their market – UK first liberalized bulk mail, Germany first liberalized added value items, and direct mail had long been liberalized in the Netherlands – helped competitors and other stakeholders, such as mailing houses, better prepare for full liberalisation. In response to a question put by MPs, Champsaur says that the possibility of fully opening up the direct mail market before 2011 “should be studied”.

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Chronopost France announce new appointments

Posted by | Oct 10, 2007 | |

Stephane Simon has been appointed Sales Director of Chronospost France, heading national and international sales. Stephane Simon started his career in 1989 in TNT, where he was Operational and Commercial Regional Director.

Stephane Simon was Sales Regional Director of South East in Chronopost from 1998 to 2004. Before joining Chronospost, he was Sales Director in Taxicolis.

Chronopost also announced the appointment of Bernard Lemaire as a Human Resources Director. Before joining Chronospost, Bernard Lemaire was Director of Human Resource in FNAC.

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Commission gives public aid to finance La Poste pensions for civil servants

Posted by | Oct 10, 2007 | |

Acting under the EC Treaty rules on state aid, the European Commission has authorized the aid planned by France for the reform of the arrangements for financing the retirement pensions of civil servants working for La Poste. The authorization is subject to conditions to ensure that La Poste and its competitors are placed on an equal footing as regards social security contributions and tax.

In the light of important commitments given by the French authorities, the Commission has concluded that the social security contributions and tax paid by La Poste would now be equivalent to what is borne by the postal operator’s competitors.

Under a 1990 law, La Poste was to finance in full the pensions paid by the State to its civil servants by way of a repayment to the State of the amounts paid out. This method of financing was a departure from the ordinary arrangement. Unlike an ordinary employer in a pay-as-you-go system, La Poste did not pay the levy that releases employers from any additional commitment for retirement pensions, but it had to ensure that the pension scheme for its civil servants was in balance.

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EU Agrees on Postal Competition Starting in 2011

Posted by | Oct 1, 2007 | |

European Union governments agreed to start local mail competition in 2011, two years later than Deutsche Post AG, TNT NV and other providers were seeking to expand into new countries.

Countries must open their markets to foreign competitors for delivering standard letters, in the compromise reached today at a meeting of national ministers in Luxembourg. Still, 11 of the 27 EU countries get two extra years, until 2013, to prepare their current providers.

The compromise won over France and other nations that opposed an earlier plan for competition in 2009. The initiative will end monopolies such as that of France’s La Poste in standard letters, which are two-thirds of the region’s 88 billion-euro (USD 125 billion) postal market, according to the EU executive agency.

Deutsche Post will continue to examine postal markets in Europe and elsewhere, Uwe Bensien, a spokesman in Bonn, said by telephone.

Letters up to 50 grams (1.8 ounces) are the final piece of the mail industry being opened, after a decade of phased-in deregulation. That business is more profitability than package or express delivery, according to the European Commission, the EU agency where McCreevy oversees internal market policy.

EU countries that allowed postal competition before the 2011 deadline include the U.K., Finland and Sweden. Germany and the Netherlands plan to follow suit Jan. 1.

Countries eligible for the extra two-year delay include Luxembourg, the country of half a million people whose service would be dwarfed by neighboring rivals, and Greece, with territory spread over hundreds of islands. Nine of the 12 countries that joined the EU since 2004 also gained the extra time. Estonia, Bulgaria and Slovenia will adhere to the 2011 deadline.

Portugal, holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, drafted the compromise in line with a European Parliament vote in July. The initiative still needs final approval by majorities in both the Parliament and the national governments, whose votes are weighted by country population, to become law.

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