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.