Dr. Joachim Wuermeling State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology - Remarks delivered at the Presentation of the Post Dossier in TRAN - Main contents
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, Parliamentarians,
I am happy to be here today to speak with you about liberalizing postal services in the EU. German Transport Minister Tiefensee has just outlined the elements of transport-policy we will be focusing on as part of Germany's EU Presidency. And you have had the opportunity of a detailed discussion on that topic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ladies and Gentlemen, for also fitting a discussion on my topic into your scheduling.
The German EU Council Presidency will seek to further strengthen the internal market and push forward with its completion. Europe is the world's largest internal market. We must use its potential to create more growth and new jobs. But that can be done only if a functioning internal market ensures the economic success of Europe amidst global competition. One of the areas we will concentrate on is the full liberalization of European markets for postal services.
The German Presidency will push forward as far as we can with the ongoing negotiations on liberalizing postal traffic in letters. Our goal, insofar as possible, is to achieve the basis for a political agreement during our term of office. This should help ensure lower prices and better quality for customers of postal services and open up for all potential providers of postal services equal market-access opportunities in European competition.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If I only spoke from this podium in Germany's name, I would stress that the European Commission has laid the groundwork for a balanced updating of the Postal Directive with its proposal for a Directive.
But in our capacity as Council Presidency, we also know that not all of the Member States hold this position. I am sure that there is a large group of advocates, but some Member States also emphasize that the instrument proposed by the Commission must guarantee the universal services financing to the same extent as financing with the aid of the reserved area. Without this assurance, it must then be possible to finance universal services with the aid of the reserved area.
And liberalization on January 1, 2009 is also not undisputed. But I think the following is important to point out: full market liberalization will make postal markets more attractive for investors, ensure better and more nuanced services, and help fully tap the employment potentials available in the postal sector. The alleged protection offered by monopolies has - as all can see - not prevented the established universal service providers from reducing jobs in many Member States. The new providers are the only ones who can create new jobs in this sector. And we should not prevent them from doing so.
Alone in Germany, some 42,000 new jobs were created at competitors in the period 1999 to 2005, among which there are an over-proportionate number of full-time and part-time jobs. Numerous Member States have already had the experience that competition is compatible with the guarantee of universal service.
The proposal for a Directive leaves untouched the established extent of universal service. For the proposal provides various instruments for implementation. Within certain parameters, the choice made remains largely up to the Member States. And there is no denying that in many aspects the quality of the universal services has improved since gradual market liberalization.
I hope we can achieve the basic lines of political agreement during the German Presidency. We naturally see the misgivings of the Member States who view their postal enterprises as not yet sufficiently prepared and have not yet stated their acceptance of a full market opening in 2009. I hope that our own decision to fully liberalize the market for letter services in Germany on January 1, 2008 will serve as an encouragement for still-hesitant Member States.
The German Presidency will be on the right road to success if you support us with your vote on MEP Ferber's report at the end of March and in the vote at the plenary session scheduled for the beginning of May.
Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your kind attention, I now look forward to a good and fruitful discussion.
Date: 30.01.2007
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