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The third European Postal Directive was adopted in the European Parliament in February 2008 and defined the deadline to liberalise postal markets as 31^st December 2010. (31 December 2012 for : Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia)



At the UNI Europa Post & Logistics Conference held in Dublin, September 2009, it was agreed UNI europa Post & Logistics would run a campaign for a moratorium on the implementation of the 3^rd Postal Directive.



To bring the campaign to life, UNI has developed a lobby campaign strategy based around the following elements:

• Affiliates meeting with their governments with the intention of demanding they support the moratorium

• Affiliates lobbying their MEPs with the intention of demanding a moratorium

• UNI providing background material in a lobby pack of information

• UNI will work with the Spanish and the Belgian affiliates to try and use the opportunities from their countries Presidency of the EU

• UNI have arranged a mission to lobby the EU Commissioners (DG Internal Markets and DG Employment), the EU Commission, and the Socialist Group in the Parliament

• UNI have developed a lobbying day where all affiliates will be asked to come to Brussels and to lobby their MEPs

• UNI Europa working with the ETUC for their support and the support of other GUF’s

Even if a moratorium is achieved, liberalisation in some form will continue, therefore our lobbying campaign must also contain demands for proper consultation and proper social regulation in postal services.



Affililates should also consider other groups that may be allies in the campaign such as : consumer groups, rural action groups, local mayors, and other stakeholders who may also want to work with you and UNI in the campaign.



Therefore to help your union in its efforts to deal with the Implementation of the 3^rd Directive in your country, we have developed a Lobby Pack.



The Lobby Pack includes the following items :

1. A copy of a booklet containing a concise summary of UNI’s policies in respect of postal regulation and liberalisation. This should be a useful tool for you to use with governments, regulators, consumer groups and other stakeholders who may also be working with you in the campaign to ensure fair implementation of the 3^rd Directive.
2. A more detailed document outlining the rationale and reasoning behind UNI’s policies in respect of postal regulation and liberalisation which can be given to public policy makers, government ministries, regulators etc., as background to our arguments for “regulating deregulation”.
3. A copy of the Joint Statement made in the European Social Dialogue by UNI-Europa Post & Logistics and Post Europ (the postal employers) concerning the evolution of postal services and liberalisation and a Report on the Social Observatory Project completed by the Post European Social Dialogue, which you can use with your lobbying efforts with governments, regulators and MEP’s to show the joint concerns workers and employers have on the implementation of the 3^rd Directive.
4. A copy of the UNI Study on Postal Market Liberalisation which details the consequences of such actions and the issues that need to be addressed.
5. A legal background paper that gives information on how a moratorium can be achieved and what MEPs and national governments need to do to achieve a moratorium.
6. A list of Members of the European Parliament who are members of the relevant committees dealing with postal market liberalisation.
7. A sample letter that you can use and modify as you wish to send to your MEP.
8. A list of national regulators to help you in contacting and meeting with them to promote your union’s position.
9. A sample letter that you can use and modify as you wish to send to your Government to promote yours and UNI’s policy in respect of the implementation of the 3^rd Directive.
10. A list of NGO’s, European Institutions and other organisations that need to be lobbied such as Consumer Groups, Rural Action Groups, local municipalities etc.
11. A sample letter that you can use and modify as you wish to send to NGOs and other organisations or interest groups.
12. A sample letter that you can use and modify as you wish to send to local mayors, local politicians and municipalities in small communities and rural areas.
13. A sample Press Release that you can use and modify as you wish to send to your local press contacts to try and gain as much public support as possible for our campaign.

It is important for our campaign that we receive feedback from affiliates on how they have contacted, NGOs other organisations and interest groups they have sent letters to, and the response you may have received. It would be appreciated therefore if you could send us copies of your letters, press releases, responses, press clippings and details of MEPs NGOs and other organisations who you have lobbied.