Standardisation Working Group
General
Standardisation facilitates trade, enhances safety, enables interoperability of products and services, promotes a common technical understanding and sets minimum quality requirements. As a result, it has an enormous impact on the work of postal operators, for which interoperability is a key factor of success in consistently delivering high quality of service.
Background
The European Postal Directive references the important role of standardisation (art. 20) the specific goals of which are the harmonisation of technical processes at EU level within the universal postal service (e.g. transit time measurement) and enabling interoperability of postal industry stakeholders. The latter gains significance in light of full liberalization of postal markets since 2013 and the emergence of new market players.
The European Commission mandates a dedicated CEN Technical Committee (TC-331 Postal services) to develop European Standards (European Norm or Specification) for postal services. There have been four mandates issued so far:
With latest one expiring 2020 and focusing on parcel services, which were according to EC, neglected in terms of standardisation in comparison to letter-mail.
Most of the standards adopted by the CEN are voluntary but there are standards that Member States postal operators are obliged to adhere to such as EN 13850, the measurement of letter post quality. In drawing up standards TC-331 shall take account of the harmonisation measures adopted by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the technical standards developed or under development by the UPU‘s Standards Board.
Mission
The main purpose of this Standardisation working group is to assess and provide feedback on CEN/TC-331 postal standards developments ensuring the standards developed are consistent with and do not replicate those developed by the UPU Standards Board. Through collaborative working and the exchange of views it will build common ground on the activities and provide input into the considerations of CEN/TC-331 and its strategic approach. It will also give PE members a forum to address standardisation issues as well as raising their profile as a set of powerful tools to facilitate the movement of cross border European mail.
Furthermore, it is to position PostEurop postal operators among other standardisation stakeholders, i.e. European Commission, UPU Standards Board, national regulatory authorities, ministries, trade associations, etc.
Last updated 5 February 2018
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