In February, CESI adopted its position on the ongoing evaluation and, perhaps, subsequent revision of the EU postal services directive 97/67/EC. In its position, CESI makes a case for a European postal legislative framework which places sustainable and high-quality universal postal services at its heart and which focuses not exclusively on the needs of users and postal services providers but also on quality employment for the postal personnel, which often faces abusive and exploitative working conditions.

In the position, the main issues raised by CESI relate in particular to the following:

• European legislators should make a clear commitment to the continued existence of an EU postal directive and advocate, in the case of a revision, for its further development. The central objective must be the maintenance/establishment of a balance between competition, consumer needs, a functioning and economically viable universal service as well as the maintenance of decent employment in the postal and parcel sector. Wage dumping, undue discrimination and the exploitation of workers must be precluded;

• Offering a universal postal service must be conditional upon the provision of a minimal postal infrastructure and the continued achievement of an ambitious minimum level of quality service;

• Given that the employment situation in the postal and parcel service sector often leads to marked social distortions and violations of the laws and rules, the EU should ensure appropriate national-level frameworks fit to counter this undesirable development. In so doing, minimum wage payments, for example, as well as the respect for applicable driving and rest times must be subject to permanent and transparent controls carried out by the competent national authorities. The legislator should intervene, should the rules not be adhered to.

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