23 Amendments of Markus FERBER related to 2016/2010(INI)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas competition in letter markets is limited and development has been too slow in most Member States where markets are still dominated by the universal service providers;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the parcel delivery market is a highly competitive, innovative and fast-growing sector which attained growth of 33 % between 2008 and 2011 in terms of volume, and whereas e-commerce is a driving factor for the market growth;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Member States to extend the role and independence of NRAs through high professional qualification criteria, guaranteed fixed terms of office and legal protection against dismissal without cause with the exhaustive list of reasons justifying such dismissal (e.g. a serious violation of the law), so that they can fulfil their obligations arising from the Postal Services Directive in neutral, transparent and timely manner;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes that obligations of independence can only be fulfilled if NRAs’ regulatory functions are structurally and functionally separated from activities associated with ownership or control of a postal operator; considers that senior NRA officials should not be permitted to work for the public postal operator or other interested parties immediately after leaving the NRA, with a view to preventing conflicts of interest; For this purpose Member States should introduce the law provisions allowing the imposition of sanctions on the entities violating the mentioned obligation;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Asks the Commission to facilitate and reinforce cooperation between NRAs with a view to greater efficiency and interoperability in cross-border delivery and to supervise the regulatory activities of NRA in order to ensure the uniform approach within the application of the European law and the harmonization of the postal market within EU;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. StressesConsiders, that the trend moves towards a narrower scope for the USO; encourages to promote consumer choice in order to define the delivery of letters within the range of USO; stresses therefore the importance of providing a high-quality universal service under affordable conditions, comprising at least five delivery and five collection days a week for every EU citizen; notes that in some Member States national regulation exceeds the given flexibility provided for inby the Postal Services Directive; calls on the Commission to reaffirm that low population density does not constitute grounds for reducing the frequency of delivery within the universal service obligation;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to monitor the provision of postal services as a public service in order to ensure a common level playing field among providers and prevent cross- subsidisation,; asks the Commissiond to review whether public service compensation is implemented in a manner that is proportionate, transparent and fair; calls on the Commission to monitor the harmonized approach to unfair burden criterion in all Member States, based on objective and clear circumstances;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses the importance that prices within the scope of the USO must be affordable and must provide access to all users to the services provided; recalls that NRAs shall clearly define affordability for an item of correspondence and Member States may maintain or introduce free postal service for blind and partially sighted persons;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Member States to maintain territorial and social cohesion and the associated quality requirements, and notes that Member States may already adapt some specific features to accommodate local demand by applying flexibility provided in Directive 97/67/EC; calls on the Member States to use State aid tools in a transparent and non- discriminatory and appropriate manner and to ensure that customers continue to have access to postal services, by maintaining a minimum number of services at the same access point; calls on the Commission to ensure, that compensation funds shall be proportionate and public procurement procedures are transparent and fair;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Asks the Member States to take appropriate regulatory measures, available under the Postal Services Directive, to ensure that accessibility to postal services continues to satisfy the needs of users by guaranteeing, where appropriate, a minimum number of services at the same access point;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Asks the Member States to ensure that market opening continues to benefit all users, in particular consumers and small and medium size enterprises in close supervision of the market developments; encourages to further address the improvements in the speed, choice and reliability of services;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to work on a harmonised definition of universal service which stipulates a minimum level of service for consumers; calls on the Member States to further harmonise licensing procedures in order to reduce unjustified barriers to entry within the internal market;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that VAT exemption for postal services has to be applied in a way that minimises distortions of competition between former monopolies and market entrants so as to ensure that all operators enjoy the freedom to provide postal services across Europe; notes that the VAT exemption for the services other than universal service is a significant reduction in the development of competition in the market;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to review broadly defined concepts of items of services of general economic interests and if public service compensation and USOs are supported in a sustainable manner; asks to further define the scope of the tasks of the public services;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Commission to ensure a common level playing field among providers both for traditional mail and the fast-expanding field of parcel delivery and between postal incumbents and new entrants; suggests, that the Commission shall be entitled to assess whether tender procedures pose an unfair burden;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Calls on the Member States to consider that former incumbents shall neither be advantaged by state support nor disadvantaged by their public service obligation or legacy costs vis-à-vis new entrants;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Commission to monitor closely Member States support of USO's and other legacy costs of postal services providers according to the main set of rules for state aid control of the SGEI (2012- Framework on Services of General Economic Interest);
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Asks the Member States to ensure the interoperability of regional postal networks and, where several universal service providers exist, to prevent impediments to the transport of postal items and to allow small and medium-sized enterprises access to the financially attractive services in cross- border deliveries by increasing the transparency of the tariffs applied by the postal operators;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. EncouragesCalls on the Commission to strengthen market oversight of parcel delivery, specifically by improving national regulators’ capacity to assess competition and identify anti-competitive practicand monopolistic practices without undermining the competence of the national competition authorities; encourages to increase the transparency of the tariffs and services availability, in particular for the retail customers and small and medium-sized enterprises;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Commission to promote the strategy on e-commerce and cross-border parcel delivery and to establish joint monitored and publicly available delivery service quality indicators so that consumers can compare offers from different service providers; suggests improving interoperability along the delivery chain and developing best practices for e-retailers;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Encourages the Member States to support cost reductions by improving the interoperability of parcel dispatch and collection processes, and to develop European standards for integrated tracking systems; recalls the need to promote the quality, reliability and sustainability of integrated logistics services; encourages the creation ofo use the platforms for cooperation and information exchange between delivery operators;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to investigate the functioning of cross-border parcel delivery in accordance with the various rules resulting from either international trade agreements (e.g. the rules of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) or EU law (e.g. the Union Customs Code), especially the universal service obligation, which can be misused and create market distortion; encourages the European Union to apply for membership at the Universal Postal Union in order to achieve a fully integrated European postal sector;