Several European countries planned revisions to their universal service obligations in 2024, with many of these changes scheduled to enter into force in 2025 and beyond.

Cullen International’s updated report on the Modernisation of the USO found that, as declining letter volumes continued to strain the financial sustainability of universal service providers, several countries made changes to the legislation governing the USO in the past year.

Under the new German postal law, the current quality of service targets for letters will be scrapped from January 2025, to be replaced with targets requiring 95% of letters to be delivered in three working days and 99% in four working days. A Dutch proposal may double the required delivery time for the regulated overnight letter from one day to two days.

In Lithuania, the draft postal law would include delivery to parcel lockers or shops under the universal service from 2026.

Other countries have removed services from the USO scope. In Germany, express delivery and cash on delivery will no longer fall under the USO. Under the forthcoming USP designation in the Czech Republic, the service for bulk international printed materials will be excluded.

The Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom are all undertaking or planning to undertake reviews of the USO in the near future.

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