WRITTEN QUESTION P-0458/02

by Jean-Maurice Dehousse (PSE) to the Commission

(14 February 2002)

Subject: Article 23 of Directive 97/67/EC on postal services

Pursuant to Article 23 of Directive 97/67/EC(1) on common rules for the development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service, the Commission was required to submit to Parliament and the Council no later than 31 December 2000 a report on the application of the directive, including appropriate information about the development of the social aspects of this sector and, more particularly, about employment.

No such a report, dealing more specifically with the aspects referred to above, has yet been forwarded to Parliament, although work is apparently under way. However, it would seem that the Commission has not granted the request made by the European Social Dialogue Committee (ESDC) in the postal sector to be actively involved in the work of drafting the report.

Given that Parliament's resolution on the Commission Communication on services of general interest in Europe, adopted on 13 November 2001, considers it vital to devise pluralist assessment procedures involving all parties concerning the way in which the tasks of general interest service provision are fulfilled and considers it necessary in view of the successes and problems to date in liberalising important service areas [] to perform a better assessment of the impact on social and regional cohesion before deciding whether it would be appropriate to proceed further with the liberalisation which has been introduced in the [area of] postal services, I should like to know why the Commission is refusing to consult and involve the two sides of industry in the postal sector at European level and how, without their involvement, it can guarantee the transparency of the work in question and the relevance and objectiveness of the information gathered or submitted.

(1) OJ L 15, 21.1.1998, p. 14.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2002)

As mentioned by the Honourable Member, work is in fact under way to prepare the report on the application of Directive 97/67/EC(1) in accordance with the provisions of Article 23 of the Directive. This report is part of the Commission's work programme for 2002.

As part of the preparation of this report, three studies were carried out by external consultants.

For each study, the Commission ensured that the two sides of industry (and all stakeholders in the sector) at European level were consulted and involved by means of the following arrangements:

- participation in a workshop at the start of the studies, enabling a discussion of the terms of reference and the methodology proposed by the consultants;

- direct contact with the consultants throughout the studies (questionnaires, interviews, option of making direct contributions at any time);

- participation in a workshop for presenting and discussing the draft final report (preparing acceptance of the final report by the Commission);

- information throughout the process of plenary sessions of the European Social Dialogue Committee in the postal sector and presentation of the results to that Committee.

Lastly, in addition to being made available on the Internet, the study reports have been sent to the two sides of industry at European level and to the other stakeholders.

Moreover, another study is currently under way concerning employment trends in the European postal sector, for which the above-mentioned procedure has also been applied. However, in view of the special importance of this study for the two sides of industry and the sector in general, this measure has been reinforced by the scheduling of a further workshop to discuss interim results at the end of the first phase of information collection.

(1) Directive 97/67/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 1997 on common rules for the development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service, OJ L 15, 21.1.1998.