Postal operators are well placed to provide certain public services because of their large workforce and physical retail network. Under the European Union’s state aid framework, member states may fund the carrying out of such services of general economic interest (SGEIs) by postal operators. Provisions concerning the funding of the services are usually contained in contracts between the state and the operators.

According to Cullen International’s latest research, postal universal service operators in 13 out of 21 studied countries have been entrusted with public service missions beyond the provision of the universal service.

Thirteen of the studied operators carry out public service obligations which are closely related to postal services. For example, Czech Post is tasked with the maintenance of a digital mailbox for use by public authorities, while Posten Bring is contracted to deliver newspapers in sparsely populated areas.

Other SGEIs commonly entrusted to postal operators include delivering pensions to the homes of the elderly, missions related to the minimum size of the retail network and the processing of national identity documents.

The above are latest findings from our benchmarks on public service obligatios, which form part of Cullen International's Postal service.

For more information and access to the benchmarks, subscribers can click on “Access the full content” - or on “Request access”, in case you are not subscribed to our Postal service.