The new Austria postal legislation
The Austrian government agreed unanimously on the new postal legislation in July 2009. Now it’s on the turn of the Austrian parliamentarians to introduce the new law. This decision is expected in autumn 2009.
The new law stipulate an exclusive monopole for the provision of universal services by Post AG. Only from the beginning of 2016, other competitors are allowed to enter this area of the postal market. A licence system will regulate in the future the market for mail up to 50 Grams. The licence system also includes social conditions and the settlement of Austrian salaries, as well as the implementation of an Austrian collective agreement.
Post AG receives a compensation financing to provide universal services and for the adaptation of the postal network following the European Directive, like the change of the private letterboxes. Distribution centres are not defined as access point of the universal services, and like this protected for new competitors.
Further at least 1650 postal access points all over Austria are now fixed in the new legislation to ensure the accessibility of postal services for all citizens. Post offices in the property of Post AG can only be closed if a cost-effective administration can’t be guaranteed anymore and if an alternative postal partner can provide a comparable service. The Austrian Trade Union critics the lack of a clear rule, how many of these 1650 access points have to be owned by Post AG. In short terms, after this legislation now, every post office can be closed down if a postal partner exists. But because Post AG is a joint stock company, it is not compatible with the property rights of the shareholders.
In general terms, the Austrian postal Trade Union, Gewerkschaft der Post und Fernmeldebediensteten (GPF), welcomes the agreement of the government and estimates the new legislation positively. Even if some points have to be clarified, the Austrian colleagues hope now, with this new legislation, that the stakeholders will have a good tool to prepare themselves for the full liberalisation of the market.