News

In a decision made on 8 October (see below), the EC considered that the amendment of the Postal Services Act decided by the Slovak Government in February 2008 infringes Article 82 of the EC treaty rules on dominant market positions. The amendments of the Slovak postal law included reserving the delivery of hybrid mail to the incumbent postal operator, a sector in which several companies were already operating.

According to Neelie Kroes, EC Commissioner for Competition: “To-re-monopolize a business activity that had already been successfully liberalized is a step in the wrong direction. Such attempts to benefit incumbent operators be re-monopolising liberalized services harm consumers and businesses, who depend on efficient postal services, and will not be tolerated by the Commission”.

However, according to the Financial Times in article published yesterday, “..the commission’s decision...is taken under a rarely used part of the EC treaty..”.

UNI, which had sent protest letters (attached here below) to Commissioner Kroes, considers that this decision by the Commission is an attempt to further pressurize member States to arrange for the full opening of the postal sector by 2011/13 under the third postal directive.