2nd ERGP Stakeholder Forum

The second edition of the Stakeholder Forum of the European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP), held on 18 September 2019 in Brussels (Belgium), was organised by ANACOM with the collaboration of the European Commission (EC), under its capacity as chair of the ERGP in 2019.

This edition of the forum, which was attended by more than 200 representatives of the key stakeholders of the postal sector, discussed the challenges faced by the postal sector in Europe and worldwide, and how the postal regulators and EC could overcome these challenges.

João Cadete de Matos, chair of the ERGP in 2019 and ANACOM, opened the session. This was followed by the presentation of the ERGP's proposed work programme for 2020, as well as the ERGP's proposed medium term strategy for 2020-2022, by Spyros Pantelis (chair of the ERGP in 2020 and vice-chair of the Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission - EETT), together with the co-chairs of the ERGP's expert groups.

Jack Hamande, outgoing chair of the ERGP and member of the executive board of the Belgian Institute for Postal services and Telecommunications (BIPT), moderated the session “Postal Regulation? What postal regulation”. In this session, experiences were collected from the point of view of the postal regulatory framework that will be necessary in the light of the recent market developments, based on the Opinion of the ERGPhttps://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/postal-services/ergp_en . on the future review of the regulatory framework, published recently.

Emphasis was given to the level of competition in the parcel market and to the importance of the duty of the universal service to meet the needs of the users. The participants highlighted the importance of regulation, using market data and information, in which it is essential to ensure the competences of the regulators on oversight matters.

Timo Pesonen, Director-General of DG GROW of the EC stressed the Commission's priorities for the future of the postal sector: “We shall engage with all the postal stakeholders on the implementation of the regulation on cross border parcel delivery service and on the future review of the postal services directive”.

In the session “How is E-commerce shaping the postal market and regulation?”, it was clear that the entry of new operators in the e-commerce market offers new opportunities for postal consumers and suppliers, but also creates new regulatory challenges. The postal market has changed drastically over the last few years and has become part of the strategy of the digital single market. Therefore, it must be assured that the regulation of the postal market, of e-commerce and digital commerce enables boosting innovative solutions, facilitates access, suitably meets the needs of these new consumers and that the European Union's single market is attained.

In the session “International mail market: to regulate or not regulate?”, it was concluded that postal issues are increasingly global and that national decisions are increasingly interlinked with the decisions of other administrations. The back drop to the discussion was the extraordinary congress of the Universal Postal Unionhttps://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1488242 (UPU), held in Geneva (Switzerland) on 24 and 25 September 2019, namely the possible withdrawal of the United States of America from the UPU (which did not in fact occur) and the proposed reviews of the UPU terminal tariff system.

João Cadete de Matos underlined that the ERGP is currently an indispensable player and interlocutor for postal regulation in the EU, able to provide high level technical opinions and expertise: “The Stakeholders Forum of the ERGP is currently a reference forum, the meeting point of representatives of the postal, digital, parcel delivery and e-commerce regulatory bodies and operators”.

From left to right: João Cadete de Matos (Chair of ANACOM / Chair of the ERGP), Bishar Hussein (Director General of the UPU International Bureau), Spyros Pantelis (EETT Vice-Chair / ERGP Vice-Chair) and Jack Hamande (executive member of the Board of Directors of the BIPT / ERGP Vice-Chair).