Conferences

• "Postal Users Forum" (Brussels, 12 December 2011)
• “Delivery Services for a Digital World” (Valencia, 29-30 April 2010)
• “Creating it together” (Brussels, 24 June 2008)

Postal Users Forum (Brussels, 12 December 2011)

Commissioner Barnier chaired the Postal Users Forum on December 12. The Forum brought together postal services users (end consumers, SMEs, businesses and e-retailers) and postal operators (marketing/sales) to analyse the effects of postal liberalisation and seek constructive ways to deliver better postal services to customers. More than 120 participants attended the Forum and were very positive on the possiblity to give directly their feedback on the effects of the European postal reform.

European Commission Second High Level Conference on Postal Services - “Delivery Services for a Digital World”, 29-30 April 2010

After over ten years of gradual legislative reform, Europe is on the cusp of realising the creation of an internal market for postal services.
By 1st of January 2011, well in excess of 90% of the EU postal market will be open to competition thus paving the way for further improvements in the variety and quality of services to businesses and citizens and how these are provided.

The European Commission and the Spanish Presidency co-hosted a High Level Conference on Postal Services in Valencia on 29-30 April 2010. The Conference, which took place just eight months before 16 of the 27 Member States open their postal markets, provided a unique forum for informed discussion on the prerequisites for successful market opening, ensuring greater competitiveness across the postal sector and overcoming the challenges faced by regulatory bodies.

The Conference brought together a host of policy makers, national regulatory authorities, chief executive officers from public and private postal operators, political figures from Community institutions and Member States and a broad range of stakeholders.

Keynote speakers addressed a range of overarching issues underpinning market opening. These were followed by intensive discussion by panellists convened in four panels and moderated by experts in appropriate fields. The panels discussed such diverse issues as preparing for an open market, the role of regulators, cross-border delivery and e-commerce and international aspects of postal regulation.

The Spanish Presidency and the Commission are convinced that further reform is the best way forward for the postal sector. Only the successful implementation of the postal reform will ensure that postal service providers will be able to provide their customers with all those services that are appropriate for the digital age.

• Programme
• Speeches and presentations
   
  • Keynotes
    • José Blanco López, Minister of Transport and Public Works, Spain
    • Michel Barnier, Commissioner for Internal Market and Services
    • Joaquín Almunia, Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner for Competition
    • Suvi Lindén, Minister of Communications, Finland
    • Miranda Hita, Subsecretary, Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Spain
    • Moritz Leuenberger, Federal Council, Head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC)
       
  • Panel's
    • Panel 1: Preparing for an Open Market
      • Sixto Heredia Herrera, Correos, Spain – Cross border mail in open markets
      • Ms Joëlle Toledano - Commissioner, ARCEP, Paris France
      • Philippe Claeys, PricewaterhouseCoopers – Preparing for an Open Markt
      • Neil Anderson, UNI Global Union – Postal Liberalisation; the 3rd Directive
    • Panel 2: Role of Postal Regulators
      • Paul Kleindorfer, INSEAD – Critical regulatory issues for Full Market Opening
      • Pablo Raventos, Unipost Spain – Regulatory challenges for new markets entrants
      • Annegret Groebel, BundesnetzAgentur – Role of Postal Regulators
      • Edvins Karnitis, Public Utilities Commission – Model for Provision of Universal Service; General  Regularities and Postal Context
    • Panel 3: Cross Border Delivery and E-commerce
      • Navin Waghe, LECG – State of play of cross-border delivery market; main barriers to competition
      • Thomas Kipp, DHL Global Mail – Business Strategies and Innovations on the Cross-Border Delivery sector
      • Luis Llairó Canal, Association of Distance Selling – Challenges for consumers in using e-commerce services and the role of the delivery sector
      • Marcin Bosacki, Inpost – Improving letter mail business with electronic solutions
    • Panel 4: International aspects of Postal Regulation
      • Ilse Wilczek, TNT – What regulatory context does a European operator need to develop outside Europe?
      • Peter Somers, Belgian Post International – Need for a clearer regulatory framework for terminal dues
    • Closing speech
      • Guido Berardis, Director, European Commission

The EU Internal Market for Postal Services – Creating it together, Brussels, 24 June 2008

Charlie McCreevy, Internal Market and Services Commissioner, hosted a high level conference on postal reform in Brussels on the 24th June 2008. The Conference discussed the opportunities for businesses and consumers in a liberalised postal market, universal services in a competitive market and regulatory challenges to ensure the benefits of postal reform can be realised.

The conference marked the start of a new and crucial stage of postal reform. The recent adoption of the 3rd Postal Directive (2008/6/EC) in February 2008 by the European Parliament and Council means there will be full market opening by 31st December 2010 for the majority of Member States. It brings accomplishment of an internal market for postal services closer to reality.

Commissioner McCreevy delivered a strong message at the conference that creating a sustainable internal postal market is a joint responsibility, that the Directive must be correctly transposed, and that the creation of barriers to entry will not be tolerated. As Commissioner McCreevy recently said "A Directive means little if it is not properly transposed in national law and rigorously implemented on the ground. We have to be vigilant to ensure that what is given by one hand is not taken away by the other."

Key note speakers at the Conference included Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes, the rapporteur of the Directive in the European Parliament Markus Ferber (MEP), the Portuguese Minister for Public Works, Transport and Communications Mário Lino and the Greek Minister of Transport and Communications Kostas Hatzidakis.

• Programme
• Press release (13.06.2008)
• Speeches
  • Charlie McCreevy
  • Thierry Stoll
  • Kostas Hatzidakis
  • Markus Ferber
  • Mario Lino

Video of the conference

• 1. Session
• 2. Session
• 3. Session