Postal services: further opening to competition

The committee adopted the report by Markus Ferber (EPP-ED, D) approving the Council's common position under the codecision procedure (2nd reading), subject to just three amendments. It called for a return to the initial definition (in Directive 97/67/EC) of "items of domestic correspondence" on the grounds that the reference to "standard mail services" was no longer necessary, given that special services had been deleted from the initial Commission proposal by both Council and Parliament. It also wanted the Commission to report to Parliament and Council every two years on the application of the directive, providing information about developments in the sector and quality of service.�