The Greens/EFA group opposes the compromise (1) adopted, whichwould create uncertainty about the financing of the universal provisionof postal services and have a negative impact on employment conditionsin the sector. Following the vote, UK Green MEP Jean Lambert said:
"The report adopted by the TRAN Committee leaves a number of areas ofconcern, notably with regard to the financing of the universal provisionof postal services. Uncertainty as to how the universal service will befinanced means it is ultimately Member States that will have to foot thebill, thereby unfairly subsidising postal service operators (2).
"We are also concerned that the employment and social conditions ofthose currently employed in the postal services sector will bethreatened by the liberalisation as set out in the directive. New marketentrants with lower employment standards would have an unfaircompetitive advantage over the incumbent service provider, which wouldput the incumbent under pressure to lower its standards (2).
"The lack of clarity in the report adopted tonight is best demonstratedby a surreal amendment on a transitory derogation to market opening thatwas approved. Under the text, Member States with ‘particularly difficulttopography, especially a huge number of Islands’ will be given longertime to implement the directive (3). This bizarre and vague textepitomises the uncertainties in the draft adopted last night."
ENDS
Editors note:
(1) The Transport Committee adopted a package of compromise amendments,which had been agreed between the EPP, Socialist and ALDE groups. Theseamendments dealt, among other issues, with the financing of theuniversal provision of services and the employment and social conditionsof workers in the sector.
(2) Despite an attempt to set out some guidelines with regard to thefinancing of the provision of a universal postal service and employmentconditions, this is not an area of competence for the European Union, sosuch guidelines cannot act as a legal guarantee.
(3) New Member States and Member States falling under this vaguedescription will have until an extended derogation until 31 December2012 to implement the directive.