Germany’s hopes of pushing through a deal before the summer, to open EU postal markets to fullcompetition by 2009, appeared to have failed yesterday.
The German government, which has the EU presidency until the end of June, had hoped to brokera deal among member states that the last monopoly in postal markets, the under-50g small lettersmarket operated by national postal companies, would be scrapped by the 1 January 2009 date proposedby the European Commission.
But the debate at yesterday’s meeting of member states’ postal ministers was reported to be “intense” and failed to come to any agreement. French newspaper Le Figaro claimed the 2009 date hadbeen thrown out altogether with no alternative agreed.
The final stage of liberalising the EUR 90 billion EU postal market is supported by Germany,the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden and Finland, although around 10 countries with stronger sociallegislation, such as France, Belgium and Spain, are opposing the European Commission’s proposalsuntil a solution is found as to how to fund the universal service.
Trade unions across Europe also oppose liberalisation on the grounds it will lead to tens ofthousands of job losses and worse pay and working conditions in the sector in a wave ofprivatisations of public postal operators across the continent.
German economy minister, Michael Glos, who chaired yesterday’s meeting, accepted any dealwould now be done in the Portuguese presidency in the second half of this year.
“There is some tension, but I get the impression that there is an awareness that(liberalisation) would be in the interest of competition,” Glos is quoted as saying by AgenceFrance Presse.
“There was no one who wanted to derail the process of liberalisation, it’s just a case ofproceeding at different speeds,” he added.
The Dutch Parliament this week passed a law scrapping the 50g reserved area in theNetherlands on 1 January 2008, but did include a clause allowing it to delay the liberalisation ifother countries, such as Germany, do not proceed to the same timetable.
Angela Merkel’s German government wants liberalisation on the same date as the Dutch, oneyear before the EC proposal, but opposition is growing in the country as other states appear to bemaking to introduce the measure much later.
