Czech government sends draft postal act amendments to parliament
06 February 25
Monika Kačeriaková
The most significant amendments to the Czech postal law since 2012 would allow for changes to the universal service, amend the reimbursement of the USO net cost and introduce new consumer protection rules. The government passed the amendments after one year of consultation. If passed by the two-chamber parliament, the act will come into effect from 2026.
Ofcom proposes changes to the universal service obligation, including reduced frequency of delivery and relaxed quality of service
05 February 25
Armen Ghalumyan
Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, is proposing changes to the postal universal service obligation (USO), including reduced delivery frequency for second class mail and relaxed quality of service targets for USO letters. Ofcom’s view is that the proposed modifications to the USO will still continue to meet the reasonable needs of postal consumers.
Ofcom imposes a £10.5m fine on Royal Mail for failure to meet delivery targets in 2023/24
30 January 25
Armen Ghalumyan
Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, imposed a £10.5m fine on Royal Mail for failure to meet its delivery targets for first class and second class mail in 2023/24. This is the second consecutive financial year in which Royal Mail was fined by the regulator for poor delivery performance as part of the universal service obligation.
Spanish regulator determines the unfair burden from the postal universal service provision in 2017
30 January 25
Carmen Mateas
The Spanish postal regulator, CNMC, determined the unfair financial burden placed on Correos, the postal universal service provider, by the provision of the universal service obligation (USO) in 2017. This decision followed previous determinations of the unfair burden of the postal USO from 2011 to 2016. As a result of these decisions, the advance subsidy paid to Correos will be retroactively reduced.
Explainer: Universal Postal Union (UPU)
30 January 25
Peter Dunn
Explainer on the Universal Postal Union (UPU), including its bodies, members, functions and funding rules.
Belgian postal regulator publishes sustainability reporting methodology for parcel operators
24 January 25
Michael van Maris van Dijk
BIPT, the communications regulator in Belgium, has published a methodology to be used by parcel delivery operators when calculating and reporting their greenhouse gas emissions.