NOTAS: | Study for the European Commission, Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs "This study presents, describes, and assesses the most important evolutions in the letter and parcel delivery markets in the 27 Member States of the European Union, in the United Kingdom, and in the EFTA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland in the reference period (2017-2021), taking into consideration the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other relevant external events on the postal sector. It also outlines the most significant evolutions of the regulatory framework in the Member States. Postal services play an important role in the EU’s economy. The postal and delivery sector generated around EUR 110 billion in revenue in 2021 (0,8 per cent of total GDP and +21 per cent compared to 2017) and employed around 1.5 million people (0,7 per cent of total employment in EU-27 and +2 per cent compared to 2017) across the EU-27 Member States. Postal operators also play an important role in connecting individuals and businesses in more peripheral areas to more densely populated areas. During the Covid-19 lockdown times, postal operators and their networks served as an essential infrastructure and were therefore allowed to continue to operate, while brick-and-mortar stores were closed." |