he postal industry is increasingly reliant on parcel deliveries as traditional letter mail declines. While, until now, postal regulation has only a limited effect on the parcel sector, a European Commission initiative for a regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services signals that regulators are starting to focus on this area.
Additionally, a number of horizontal generic consumer protection regulations apply to e-commerce, affecting customers, providers and delivery operators involved in online transactions.
At the same time, delivery operators are constantly looking for ways to improve the efficiency and quality of their ‘last mile’ services, including through the use of parcel lockers, unmanned transport systems (such as drones) and innovative resource management.
Cullen International’s recent report on drone regulation explains the European Commission’s proposals to include drones within the scope of air traffic safety rules, while also establishing a common European framework for the manufacture and operation of these unmanned aircraft. Drones are already being trialled for the delivery of packages by parcels operators in Europe and worldwide.
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04 November 26
In nine European countries, national symmetric obligations on access to ducts go beyond the scope set by the Gigabit Infrastructure Act
Cullen International's latest benchmark analyses asymmetric and symmetric duct access obligations in Europe.
04 November 26
More than 60 cases and counting: a snapshot of European antitrust enforcement against big tech
Cullen International’s latest report on past and pending antitrust cases against big tech companies in Europe tracks enforcement activity under ex post antitrust rules at EU and national level.
30 October 26
Many governments around the globe rely on legal mechanisms to compel communications apps to cooperate in law enforcement investigations
Cullen International's latest Global Trends benchmark for number-independent communications apps regulation found that nearly all of the 13 surveyed jurisdictions around the world provide some legal mechanism to make these apps assist law enforcement in criminal investigations. There are requirements to verify user identities, compel disclosure of stored content, make encrypted content accessible, and duties to detect illegal content within private communications.