At this workshop the draft mid-term strategy of the European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP) will be developed.

The aim of the strategy is clear: to identify issues in the core postal market that have to be addressed at European level in order to facilitate the recognition of the postal sector as an essential component of the global economy.

To achieve this, the many factors challenging the postal sector, including globalisation, market liberalisation, competition, electronic substitution, the advancement of new technologies, and regional and national inequalities, should be taken into account.

The workshop will be an interactive public debate and will bring together stakeholders' views and expertise on developments and trends in the European postal market in order to increase effectiveness and transparency in the ERGP’s work.

All European postal stakeholders (postal services providers, consumer associations, postal industry associations, labour associations and e-retailers) are invited to express their views on the strategic/core issues at EU level that should be addressed in the ERGP mid-term strategy in the presence of ERGP members.

The resulting document will cover the period 2017-2019. The workshop will take place from 10.00 to 13.00. 

The 1^st ERGP (European Regulators Group for Postal Services) Steering Group (SG) meeting was held on 22^nd January 2016 in Brussels under the chairmanship of Veselin Bozhkov, PhD – Chairman of the Communications Regulation Commission and ERGP Chair for 2016.

At the meeting, the results of the public consultation on the Draft ERGP Work Programme 2016 were presented.  

The agenda also included  a discussion on the elaboration of a Mid-term strategy. The SG was provided with information by the ERGP Secretariat, as well.

Information on the PRDs of the 2016 ERGP subgroups was also presented and discussed:

-         Regulatory Accounting/Price Regulation

-         Implementation and evolution of the USO

-         End User satisfaction and monitoring of market outcomes

-         Cross-border parcels delivery for e-commerce purposes

-         End-to-End Competition and Access Regulation

The meeting concluded with a discussion of the dates of the forthcoming meetings.

About ERGP

The ERGP is composed of the 28 national regulatory authorities (NRAs) for postal services of the EU, as well as national regulatory authorities from countries of the European Economic Area and countries with candidate status to join the EU.

The ERGP’s tasks are to advise and assist the European Commission in consolidating the internal market for postal services or any other matter related to postal services within its competence.

Furthermore, the ERGP is advising on and assisting the Commission with the development of the internal market for postal services and as to the consistent application in all Member States of the regulatory framework for postal services.

By Decision No 477 of 08.10.2015 the Communications Regulation Commission announced its intention to hold a tender procedure to issue authorizations for use of radio frequency spectrum in 2500-2690 MHz radio frequency band.

By its Decision No 473 of 08.10.2015 the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) launched a public consultation procedure on drafts Rules on the terms and conditions for issuing authorizations for use of individually assigned scarce resource – radio frequency spectrum for industrial needs and a Reference authorization

The full texts of the drafts are published on the CRC’s website www.crc.bg  under the section Public consultation.

On 11.09.2015 the European Commission (EC) launched a public consultation on the needs for Internet speed and quality beyond 2020 in the context of the Digital Single Market for Europe Strategy. The public consultation is open and it is addressed to citizens, undertakings, non-governmental organizations, public authorities and institutions from all sectors which use the Internet access service. The European Commission conducts this public consultation in order to receive information on the estimated needs of Internet subscribers (fixed and mobile) beyond 2020.

The consultation is open until 7 December 2015 and comments received after the deadline will not be taken into account.

The questionnaire may be filled in only online on the EC’s website - https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/public-consultation-needs-internet-speed-and-quality-beyond-2020. 

By Decision No 401 of 20.08.2015 the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) adopted a draft Methodology for calculating the net costs from the universal postal service provision (Methodology).

The draft Methodology is submitted for consultation with the stakeholders and has been published on the CRC’s website under the section Public consultations.