ACM launches consultation of tariffs that PostNL can charge postal operators

Dutch postal operator PostNL must grant access to its sorting and delivery network to other postal operators that deliver 24-hour business mail. In the draft version of the tariff decision on 24-hour business mail, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has set the maximum tariffs that PostNL can charge other postal operators for this access between 2017 and 2020.

Declining mail volumes

When setting the tariffs, ACM takes into account the declining mail volumes. Among other factors that ACM takes into account are the mail volume trends, and the effects thereof on PostNL’s cost trends. This is also one of the reasons as to why these tariffs increase each year.

Tariff requirements

Several postal operators deliver a large share of the 24-hour business mail with their own sorting and delivery networks. For the remaining share of the 24-hour business mail, they use PostNL’s sorting and delivery network. In its market analysis decision of July 2017, ACM decided that the tariffs that PostNL is allowed to charge other postal operators for this access must be cost-oriented. This ensures that postal operators are able to use PostNL’s sorting and delivery network at cost-oriented tariffs.

By showing its cost allocation system, PostNL explained to ACM what costs have been included in the tariffs. ACM must approve both PostNL’s cost allocation system and the proposed maximum tariffs.

Comments

ACM invites all interested parties to submit to ACM their comments about the draft decision. Interested parties have six weeks (starting today) to submit their comments. ACM aims to release the final tariff decision in the summer of 2018.