17.09.2024

ANCOM has published, on its website, the notice of intent regarding the designation of the universal service provider in the field of postal services for the next 5 years. Any authorised postal service provider wishing to acquire this status is invited to submit, within the next 30 days, an application for designation together with the necessary related documents.

Procedure for designating the universal service provider

According to the notice of intent launched by ANCOM, the designated universal service provider will ensure the provision of services within the scope of universal service between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2029.

Any postal service provider authorized to provide services within the scope of universal service may send ANCOM an application for designation no later than 17 October 2024, 5:00 p.m. The application must be accompanied by a series of additional documents and information, such as the financial statements for the last 3 years, the quality conditions guaranteed by the applicant, the location of the fixed access and contact points served by staff and the contact points not served by staff, and the estimate of the maximum net cost related to the provision of postal services within the scope of universal service for which the designation is requested. The standard form of the application for designation, the items of information to be provided on the technical, economic and financial capacity, as well as the eligibility conditions that applicants must meet are available, in Romanian, here. The documentation can be submitted in person or by a representative of the applicant, under signature, through a postal service with acknowledgment of receipt or as a written document in electronic form, with an extended electronic signature.

Interested providers will submit the application for designation for all categories of postal services within the scope of universal service, which are to be provided throughout the territory of Romania.  

A summary of the rights and obligations in keeping with the status of universal service provider in the field of postal services is available, in Romanian, here - including the list of localities in exceptional cases and/or geographical conditions as of 1 July 2020 - published by ANCOM for information purposes only.

Services within the scope of universal service

The right of access to universal service represents the right to benefit from the permanent provision of postal services within the scope of universal service, at a certain level of quality, at any point on the territory of Romania, at affordable tariffs.

The postal services within the scope of universal service are: collecting, sorting, transport and delivery of domestic and international postal items consisting of correspondence, printed matter and small parcels, weighing up to  (including) 2 kg; collecting, sorting, transport and delivery of domestic and international postal parcels, weighing up to (including) 10 kg; the distribution of postal parcels weighing between 10 kg and (including) 20 kg sent from abroad to an address located on the territory of Romania; service for registered items; service for insured items; collecting, sorting, transport and delivery of domestic and international cecograms and the service of distributing pay slips for social protection payments and information documents issued by the National House of Public Pensions to the beneficiaries' domicile, where they have opted for payment in a current or card account, regardless of the number of postal items involved. Large postal items (mail, printed matter, small packages and parcels) are not included within the scope of universal service.

More information on the procedure for designating the universal service provider is available, in Romanian, in ANCOM Decision no. 934/2019.