Dutch postal company PostNL is allowed to raise stamp rate to 73 cents in 2016

The stamp rate for regular domestic mail will be raised to 73 cents on January 1, 2016. The price for delivering standard parcels in the Netherlands will remain EUR 6.95.

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) assesses whether any price changes in the stamp rates are statutorily allowed. More specifically, this concerns for all the rates in the universal postal service. ACM has approved the rates for PostNL’s universal postal service for 2016.

ACM makes sure that PostNL complies with the rules. The delivery rates for individual letters and parcels are statutorily regulated. On September 14, 2015, ACM set the tariff headroom for 2016. In response, PostNL submitted a tariff proposal for 2016. ACM has now established that the proposed tariffs are within the tariff headroom, thereby meeting the statutory requirements.

About the universal postal service

The universal postal service covers the collection and delivery of individual letters with stamps, individual parcels, registered letters, and several other services. The universal postal service is laid down in the Dutch Postal Act 2009. With this act, the government ensures that everyone is able to access a basic set of postal services at affordable rates. For example, the universal postal service mandates that PostNL deliver mail five days a week anywhere in the Netherlands.