Liberalisation, privatisation and regulation of postal services in Europe – First international experiences in the run-up to new European regulations
Read MoreDHL Express Sweden has expanded its recently-created network of 1,100 Servicepoints for consumer parcel services through an agreement with Scandinavian retail group Reitan Servicehandel. The expanded service is a key part of DHL Express Nordic’s strategy for 2008.
Under the deal, Swedish consumers and SMEs will be able to drop off or pick up their parcels at DHL Servicepoints within 7-Eleven stores and Pressbyran newspaper kiosks and shops located across the country, DHL Express Sweden said in a statement.
Reitan Servicehandel operates 72 7-Eleven shops in Sweden in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Helsingborg and Malmo, while there are 318 Pressbyran outlets across the country attracting some 1.4 million customer visits a week, according to the group’s website.
DHL Express already has a network of 1,100 Servicepoints in Sweden operated as shop-in-shop services under contracts with a wide range of retailers. Private customers can hand in or collect their parcels at the Servicepoints.
Consumers sending parcels can book the shipment with DHL online and receive a shipment number to attach to the parcel. Payment is made directly to the retailer. Customers receiving parcels are informed by SMS or e-mail that their item is ready for collection.
The expanded service is a key part of DHL Express Nordic’s strategy for 2008 to strengthen its leading position in the region, said Martin Södergård, managing director of DHL Express Nordic.
The key aims were to intensify customer dialogue and make DHL Express more attractive as a potential partner by investing in service and improving access to products. “For me the Nordic region is a very exciting region because we have the chance to offer our customers a comprehensive product portfolio,” he commented. DHL Express Nordic, with 6,000 employees, covers Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the three Baltic states.
Read MoreEuropean Postal Perspective: Facing the challenge from low-cost posts
Read MoreThe Nordic express delivery company Jetpak is launching a new service for the growing number of companies that have their central inventories in Northern Europe. With “Jetpak by Night” customers can place orders late in the evening and the goods are distributed from 7 a.m. throughout the Nordic region – or in the middle of the night if desired.
Jetpak collaborates with the airline Amapola, a subsidiary of Salénia AB, as well as with DANX in Denmark, which has years of experience of nighttime deliveries and whose delivery vans complement Jetpak’s 700 own delivery vans in the Nordic countries. Since April this year, Jetpak has also partnered with the German company time:matters for fast and reliable express deliveries in Europe.
A growing number of companies are moving their warehouses down to the Benelux countries. A total of 800 Nordic companies have already chosen to locate operations closer to the European market. At the same time, short storage times mean capital is also tied up for less time, while efficient distribution solutions become increasingly important.
The new “Jetpak by Night” service, which will be fully operational in February 2008, is expected to achieve annual sales of more than SEK 100 million (USD 15.56 million) and strengthen Jetpak’s position as the industry leader in door-to-door services by road and air.
Read MoreThe postal industry needs a reliable VAT legislation. The 6th VAT Directive no longer provides for legal certainty as demonstrated by the infringement procedures most recently launched by the European Commission. Moreover, taking into account the changes that the industry has undergone in the past 10 years, modernizing VAT regulations seems reasonable.
On May 5th 2003, the European Commission issued a “proposal for a directive amending directive 77/388/EEC as regards VAT on services provided in the postal sector” (COM/2003/234).
It provides for equal treatment of postal services in term of taxation. It also introduces an option to apply reduced VAT rates for certain postal services with the intention to limit any increase in postal prices due to the introduction of VAT.
On March 11th 2004, the European Parliament agreed to the introduction of VAT in public postal services. The European Parliament has proposed to make the application of a reduced rate mandatory.
The deliberations (2 July 2003 to 15 June 2004) within the Council failed in the absence of the required unanimity and negotiations have been suspended for about 3 years now.
On 23rd March 2006, the European Commission launched infringement proceedings by sending letters of formal notice to the UK, Sweden and Germany on the VAT application of postal services.
The rules governing the application of VAT should not be left to finally decisions by the ECJ based on an interpretation of the 6th VAT Directive (dating back to 1977). The decision how to apply VAT on postal services is essentially a political one and therefore needs to be agreed upon by the Council.
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