Postal sector: rules of competition, assessment of certain state measures relating to the postal services

In adopting the report by Mr Georges de BREMOND D'ARS (PPE, F), Parliament considered that the Commission should provisionally withdraw its draft notice on the postal sector, as it contained many contradictions and inconsistencies vis-à-vis the proposal for a directive and the amendments adopted by Parliament at first reading. It pointed out that the Court of Justice had confirmed that undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest may be exempted from the application of the competition rules in the Treaty (Almelo case) . It was of the opinion that the final objective must be kept clearly in sight, namely the creation of a harmonized and liberalized postal market in controlled stages which must guarantee in any case a comprehensive, affordable, high-quality universal service to all citizens and with funding permanently assured. �