Resolution on European postal services
Date: 1999-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: liberalisation of the market, postal service

C 104/134

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

14. 4. 1999

Thursday 14 January 1999

12. European postal services

B4-0025, 0039 and 0040/99

Resolution on European postal services

The European Parliament,

›  having  regard  to  European  Parliament  and  Council  Directive  97/67/EC  on  common  rules  for  the
development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of
service (1),

A.  mindful of the economic and social importance of postal services in the European Union,

B.  whereas it is necessary to implement and safeguard a high-quality Community universal service in
postal services in accordance with the key objectives of Directive 97/67/EC and Council resolution of
7 February 1994,

C.  whereas  Article  7  of  Directive  97/67/EC  requires  the  Commission  to  table  new  proposals  on  the

further gradual and controlled liberalisation of the postal market before the end of 1998,

D.  recalling Parliament(cid:146)s often stated position concerning the need for a high-quality universal service
and the implementation of gradual and controlled liberalisation of postal services, as last expressed by
question E-3024/98 of 21 September 1998 to the Commission,

E.  whereas in its reply to question E-3024/98 of 6 November 1998, the Commission stated that it would
be in a position to send the new proposal on the further gradual and controlled liberalisation of the
postal services market to Parliament towards the end of 1998,

F.  whereas to date this proposal has not yet been received,

G.  whereas  Directive  97/67/EC  remains  to  be  implemented  into  national  law  in  a  great  number  of
Member States and whereas the market and the economics of the universal service in postal services
cannot yet be correctly observed and assessed,

H.  whereas the Commission has not forwarded for Parliament(cid:146)s attention various feasibility studies on

the impact of the liberalisation of certain postal services,

1.
Considers that, in the absence of the new proposal on the further gradual and controlled liberalisation
of  the  postal  services  market,  the  legislative  deadlines  set  out  under  Articles  7  and  27  of  Directive
97/67/EC no longer apply;

2.
Stresses that evaluations undertaken by Parliament on the liberalisation of postal services will not be
based solely on the Commission(cid:146)s feasibility studies, but also upon consultations by Parliament with the
universal service providers in Member States once these are known;

Requests  the  Commission  to  forward  for  Parliament(cid:146)s  attention  the  above  studies  as  well  as  any

3.
other information deemed necessary;

4.
Underlines that any further evaluations must take into account the long-term economic and financial
balance of universal service providers as well as the employment consequences within European postal
operators;

5.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Economic and
Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the governments and parliaments of Member States.

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