European Union Postal Operators met this week with Executive Vice‑President Stéphane Séjourné of the European Commission to discuss how the forthcoming New EU Delivery Act (NDA) can support a more competitive and resilient European economy. The roundtable brought together CEOs from leading postal companies and senior Commission officials.

With the Commission’s New EU Delivery Act (NDA) expected by the end of 2026, postal operators underlined that the NDA represents a strategic opportunity to modernise the regulatory framework, reinforce the EU’s Single Market, and ensure that Europe remains competitive in a rapidly evolving global environment.

A Modern Framework to Support Europe’s Competitiveness

Participants noted that the postal sector has undergone profound transformation driven by digitalisation, declining letter volumes and intense competition on parcels from global e‑commerce platforms and new business models. Operators emphasised that a modern, flexible and future‑proof regulatory framework is essential to enable European operators to compete effectively with major international players.

CEOs highlighted that postal operators have invested heavily in modernising their networks, building one of Europe’s largest and most reliable network infrastructures. They stressed that the NDA should recognise this strategic asset and ensure that operators can continue to support citizens, SMEs and the resilience and competitiveness of the  EU’s economy at large.

Key Priorities for a Competitive Single Market

Postal operator CEOs had the opportunity to elaborate on four messages which are critical in building the New EU Delivery Act and may eventually strengthen Europe’s competitiveness:

  • A flexible and financially sustainable Universal Service Obligation (USO), limited to letters and single-piece parcels, reflecting national realities ensuring legal certainty while maintaining essential services for citizens.
  • A minimal regulatory intervention approach. There is no need for additional sector‑specific regulation for e‑commerce parcel delivery, since it is a highly competitive, dynamic and innovative market. Operators already compete with global platforms which already posses a significant market power on the demand side and are at the same time demanding clients and important competitors.
  • A level playing field is needed to enable European operators to compete fairly with large international companies and supporting SMEs that rely on postal networks to reach customers.
  • A seamless custom procedure of international postal flows, allowing EU SMEs to continue making businesses, citizens to benefit from the widest range of services, and postal operators to comply with international postal agreements.

Participants also noted that the ability to pursue cross‑border cooperation within the EU could strengthen the Single Market and help European operators compete more effectively with global platforms.

 “Europe’s postal operators are committed partners in building a stronger and more competitive EU Single Market. The New EU Delivery Act can provide the clarity and flexibility needed to support innovation, fair competition and sustainable growth. We welcome the constructive dialogue with the European Commission and look forward to contributing to a framework that benefits citizens, businesses and the European economy as a whole.”  — Elena Fernandez-Rodríguez, Chairwoman of PostEurop Board of Directors

A Strategic Moment for Europe

During the discussion, European Commission representatives acknowledged the importance of the postal sector for Europe’s economic resilience and the functioning of the EU’s Single Market. They noted that the NDA will directly shape the future operating environment for postal operators and encouraged the sector to continue providing input as the impact assessment progresses.

Postal operators reiterated their commitment to working closely with the European Commission to ensure that the NDA supports innovation, competitiveness and sustainable growth across Europe.

Participants to the meeting with Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné included (CEOs listed in the alphabetical order of the countries): Mr Walter Oblin, Österreichische Post AG – Austria; Mr Chris Peeters, bpost – Belgium; Mr Antti Jääskeläinen, Posti – Finland; Mrs Marie-Ange Debon, La Poste – France; Mr Tobias Meyer, Deutsche Post DHL – Germany; Mr Michael Mavropoulos, Hellenic Post – Greece; Mr David McRedmond, An Post – Ireland, Mr Matteo Del Fante, Poste Italiane S.p.A. – Italy; Mr Asta Kastytis Valantinas, Lietuvos pastas – Lithuania, Mr Joseph Gafá, MaltaPost – Malta; Mr Petter-Børre Furberg, Posten Bring – Norway; Mrs Elena Fernández Rodríguez, Chairwoman of the PostEurop Board of Directors and Botond Szebeny, PostEurop Secreary General.

See also PostEurop Position Papers

Contribution to the European Commission’s Call for Evidence on the “New EU Delivery Act – Reform of EU Postal Rules” Initiative

About PostEurop

PostEurop is the association representing European postal operators. It is dedicated to supporting and developing a sustainable and competitive European postal communication and logistics market that is accessible to all citizens, ensuring a modern and affordable universal service. Its members employ 1.6 million people, operate over 212,000 service and pick-up points across Europe, handle billions of items annually, and deliver to over 295 million homes and 48 million companies across Europe.

More on www.posteurop.org

 

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