Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013)
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WIK-Consult Final Report Study for the European Commission, Directorate General for Internal Market and Services Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013) Authors: Alex Kalevi Dieke (Project Manager) Christian Bender James I. Campbell Jr. Robert H. Cohen Christine Müller Antonia Niederprüm Alexandre de Streel Sonja Thiele Claus Zanker WIK-Consult GmbH Rhöndorfer Str. 68 53604 Bad Honnef Germany Bad Honnef, August 2013 Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013) I Contents Case Studies V Figures VII Tables X Abbreviations XII Executive Summary i 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose of study 1 1.2 Methodology 2 1.3 Terminology: postal services and products 3 1.4 Acknowledgements 6 2 Regulatory Developments 7 2.1 Legal and regulatory framework 7 2.1.1 Transposition of Third Postal Directive 7 2.1.2 Allocation of authority within Member States 9 2.1.3 Legal organisation of the public postal operator 15 2.1.4 National Regulatory Authorities 17 2.2 Market opening and potential restraints on competition 33 2.2.1 Status of market opening and special rights 33 2.2.2 Authorisation procedures and conditions 35 2.2.3 Access to postal infrastructure 44 2.2.4 Access to downstream services of the USP 48 2.2.5 Differential application of value-added tax 54 2.2.6 Differential application of customs and security controls 63 2.2.7 Special labour provisions in the postal sector 66 2.3 Application of the competition rules 67 2.3.1 Application of antitrust rules to the postal sector 67 2.3.2 Application of State Aids rules to the postal sector 77 2.3.3 Conclusions on the application of competition rules to the postal sector 87 II Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013) 2.4 Regulation of cross-border postal services 89 2.4.1 Overview of regulation of cross-border postal services 89 2.4.2 Authority of the NRA over cross-border postal services 90 2.4.3 Terminal dues in intra-EU/EEA cross-border postal services 92 2.4.4 Terminal dues in postal services between the EU/EEA and other industrialised countries 96 2.4.5 Distortions created by UPU terminal dues 99 2.4.6 UPU measures relating to bypass competition 103 2.4.7 Terminal charges for cross-border parcels 113 2.4.8 Application of the competition rules to cross-border services 114 2.5 Universal postal service 127 2.5.1 Services ensured as universal services 127 2.5.2 Legal mechanisms for ensuring universal service 131 2.5.3 Regulation of prices and accounts 137 2.5.4 Tariff principles 137 2.5.5 Methods for price control 141 2.5.6 Regulatory accounting 144 2.5.7 Net cost of universal service obligations 149 2.5.8 Compensation of USP(s) for net costs of USO 153 2.5.9 Regulation of service quality 155 2.6 Protection of users 157 2.6.1 User protection legislation and enforcement authority 157 2.6.2 Redress and remedies 159 3 Market and Economic Developments 163 3.1 Sector overview 163 3.2 Letter post markets 167 3.2.1 Demand for letter post services 167 3.2.2 Competition in letter post markets 182 3.2.3 Access to universal service 190 3.2.4 Financial effects of volume decline on postal operators 194 3.2.5 Meeting the challenges: Business strategies of key market players 201 Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013) III 3.3 Parcel and express markets 222 3.3.1 Demand for parcel and express services 222 3.3.2 Competition in parcel and express markets 234 3.3.3 Meeting the challenges: Business strategies of key market players 245 3.4 Employment in the postal sector 255 3.4.1 Development of postal employment since 2010 255 3.4.2 Labour cost and productivity 263 3.4.3 Evolution of labour conditions 265 3.4.4 Regulation of labour conditions in the postal sector 273 3.4.5 Role of social partners 280 4 Analysis of Main Developments and Implications for Future Postal Policy 289 4.1 Fundamental economic and policy parameters 289 4.1.1 Key market developments and the evolving role of postal services 289 4.1.2 Development of EU postal policy 292 4.1.3 Postal economics: effects of declines in letter volumes 296 4.1.4 Sound regulatory principles 298 4.2 Future definition and regulation of universal service 299 4.2.1 A more flexible definition of universal service 299 4.2.2 Reducing price/service regulation of universal services 302 4.2.3 Proportionate use of designation to ensure universal service 304 4.3 Regulation of postal services outside the scope of universal services 307 4.3.1 The case for regulation of postal services outside the scope of universal services 307 4.3.2 Extension of competition protection provisions to postal services outside the scope of universal services 309 4.3.3 NRA authority to protect competition 310 4.3.4 Regulation of postal operators with significant market power (SMP) 312 4.3.5 Which market segments benefit from competition, which rely on regulation? 315 4.4 A modern institutional framework for cross-border postal services 317 4.4.1 Commission notice on the application of the competition rules in cross-border postal markets 318 4.4.2 Effective implementation of Article 13 of the Postal Directive 319 IV Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013) 4.4.3 Coordination of the EU positions at the UPU affecting e-commerce 321 4.4.4 Integration of trade policy and cross-border postal services 323 4.5 Improved application of the competition rules 325 4.5.1. Substantive issues 325 4.5.2. Institutional issues 326 4.6 Resolving potential restraints on competition 327 4.6.1 Competitive neutrality in the application of VAT laws 327 4.6.2 Competitive neutrality in the application of customs laws 328 4.6.3 Limit anti-competitive conditions on authorisations 330 4.7 Compliance and statistical transparency 331 4.7.1 Standardised market data 331 4.7.2 Standard reports on implementation of the Directive 332 4.8 Employment policies 334 4.9 Institutions and resources for postal regulation 335 4.9.1 Separation of policy making, regulatory functions, and ownership functions 335 4.9.2 Authority and resources of NRAs 336 5 Recommendations 339 Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013) V Case Studies Case study 2-1 NRA report on implementation of the Postal Directive in Spain 8 Case study 2-2 InPost, successful market entrant in the Polish letter post and parcel market 34 Case study 2-3 Ofcom’s consultation on the Postcode Address File (United Kingdom) 46 Case study 2-4 Access to letterboxes in apartment blocks and curbside delivery boxes under current postal legislation (Austria) 47 Case study 2-5 Access to the postal address database: Practice in Slovenia 47 Case study 2-6 Obligation to publish business customer prices (Sweden) 50 Case study 2-7 BIPT’s decision on special tariffs for business senders and consolidators (Belgium) 50 Case study 2-8 EETT’s decision on downstream access to ELTA’s network (Greece) 51 Case study 2-9 Downstream access in Slovenia 51 Case study 2-10 Additional VAT payments for Deutsche Post enforced by court (Germany) 63 Case study 2-11 Definition of affordability (UK) 138 Case study 2-12 Ex post regulation of predatory prices offered by a subsidiary of Deutsche Post (First Mail) 140 Case study 2-13 Limit ex ante regulation to consumer products (UK) 142 Case study 2-14 Shorter price cap periods due to uncertainty of future volume developments (DE) 143 Case study 2-15 Price cap decision 2013-2015 in light of volume developments (France) 143 Case study 2-16 More pricing flexibility for Royal Mail (UK) 144 Case study 2-17 Distribution of delivery costs between first and second class (SE) 145 Case study 2-18 Disclosure of activity costs in regulatory cost accounting (France and UK) 148 Case study 2-19 Quality measurement in AT 157 Case study 3-1 Research on mail substitution 172 Case study 3-2 E-government services drive substitution: The example of Denmark 173 Case study 3-3 Concerns with De-Mail in Germany 176 Case study 3-4 Satisfaction with electronic and physical communication in Sweden 177 Case study 3-5 Consolidation in the Dutch letter post market 184 VI Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013) Case study 3-6 Cooperation between local mail operators in Germany: CITIPOST Verbund 185 Case study 3-7 The Compador-PostCon case (DE) 186 Case study 3-8 InPost, successful market entrant in the Polish letter post and parcel market 187 Case study 3-9 Joint Venture La Poste – Swiss Post (Asendia) 189 Case study 3-10 Access network regulation in SK 192 Case study 3-11 Customer needs in the UK (Ofcom survey) 216 Case study 3-12 Customer needs in Ireland (ComReg survey) 218 Case study 3-13 FedEx’ expansion strategy in the European parcel and express markets 238 Case study 3-14 Failed merger of UPS and TNT Express 242 Case study 3-15 National postal operators establish a European-wide network for cross-border delivery of parcels 244 Case study 3-16 Innovative delivery solutions by Shutl 245 Case study 3-17 DPD’s flexible delivery and notification service 246 Case study 3-18 CollectPlus (UK) 247 Case study 3-19 Cooperation between GLS and Mondial Relay in France 248 Case study 3-20 UPS’ acquisition of Kiala and its growth strategy for the European B2C market 248 Case study 3-21 The business model of ByBox 252 Case study 3-22 Parcel lockers offered by InPost 253 Case study 3-23 Cross-border parcel services: Easy Return Services (ERS) 254 Case study 3-24 Self-employed workers in the parcel delivery in DE 271 Case study 3-25 Social regulation of employment contracts in NL 274 Case study 3-26 Social regulation in the Hungarian postal law 2012 279 Case study 3-27 Negotiations of a labour agreement for the whole postal industry in FR 280 Case study 3-28 Change management at bpost 283 Case study 3-29 Change management at PostNL 285 Main Developments in the Postal Sector (2010-2013) VII Figures Figure 1-1 Segmentation 4 Figure 2-1 NRA staff and resources, large markets 24 Figure 2-2 NRA staff and resources, medium-sized markets 25 Figure 2-3 NRA staff and resources, small markets 26 Figure 2-4 NRA staff and resources, very small markets 27 Figure 2-5 Access levels in Belgium, France, Germany and the UK 52 Figure 2-6 Development of access volumes in Germany and the UK 53 Figure 2-7 Scope of VAT exempt postal services in EU/EEA as a whole 62 Figure 2-8 Domestic postage v.