ANCOM has elaborated this Draft Strategy in continuation of the Regulatory Strategy in the postal services sector for the period 2012-2016. In the previous Strategy’s timeframe, the Authority pursued several main objectives, by actions such as: monitoring the extent to which postal service providers observe their obligations established by the legislation in the postal services field, assessing the steps required for ensuring the access of the disabled to postal services in conditions equivalent to those available for other users, evaluating the universal service provider’s rights and obligations and conducting market studies for identifying the needs of postal services users. In the respective timeframe, ANCOM conducted more than 4,000 control actions meant to ensure the proper functioning of the postal services field in Romania.

Moreover, ANCOM aimed to optimize the activity of authorizing postal service providers. In this context, the Authority proposed reviewing the secondary legislation in the field, by launching for public consultation a new draft decision on the general authorisation regime for the provision of postal services, on 29 November 2016. This normative act will enter into force in early 2017.

Further details on the implementation of ANCOM’s 2012-2016regulatory strategy in the postal services sector are available in the Evaluation Report (in Romanian only), here.

 

With a view to promoting the Romanian postal service users’ interest during 2017-2020, ANCOM intends to continue the annual process of monitoring the quality of postal services within the scope of universal service, to keep informing the users on their rights in relationship with the postal service providers and to analyse the extent to which the postal services available on the market and their terms of provision are adequate for meeting the specific needs of disabled users, in its attempt to also identify ways in which postal service providers can satisfy the special needs of such users as efficiently as possible, by providing new services.

For ensuring all the users’ access to universal service in the postal services sector, during 2017-2020, ANCOM’s activity will be focused on monitoring the extent to which the universal service provider fulfils its obligations in accordance with the provisions of the designation decision - so that the services within the scope of universal service should be provided in the quality conditions established through the designation decision, in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner - and will also aim establishing  the most adequate regulatory measures in respect of the tariffs for these services.

Thus, ANCOM’s activity will envisage mainly modifying the method of setting the tariffs for the services within the scope of universal service, as well as ensuring the continuity of the universal service provision. By the end of 2018, when CNPR’s designation as a universal service provider ends, ANCOM will have analysed whether a new designation procedure needs to be organised or whether the services within the scope of universal service may be ensured by means of the competition mechanisms in the market.

To promote economic efficiency and effective competition in the postal services market while maximizing the users’ benefits, in the envisaged period, ANCOM will analyse the situations where conditions for access to CNPR’s public network need to be established. Where necessary, the Authority will establish technical and economic conditions for access to the public postal network, to infrastructure elements, as well as, if appropriate, to the services provided by CNPR, by defining a methodology that allows identifying access points, where access would be feasible, and by establishing a technical-economic costing model for the network, the infrastructure elements and, if necessary, for the services provided by CNPR.

Taking into account the recent years’ technological developments, the upsurge of e-commerce and the advancing implementation of new methods of postal item processing, i.e. integrated solutions such as ”PCL” (Parcels Locker Service), „electronic self-delivery”, „self-service” etc., ANCOM aims at conducting a survey on the postal traffic volumes generated by on-line commerce and to regulate, where necessary, new postal services and their terms of provision.

 

The draft regulatory strategy in the postal services sector for 2017-2020 is available, in Romanian only, here. The interested persons are invited to send their comments and suggestions, by 20.02.2017, at the ANCOM headquarters in 2 Delea Noua Street, Bucharest 3, directly to the ANCOM Registry Office or by means of ANCOM’s regional divisions. Comments may also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.org.ro.