27.11.2024

ANCOM launches for public consultation the draft decision on designating the National Company Romanian Post (CNPR) as a universal service provider in the postal field for the 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2029, in view of the provision of all the services within the scope of universal service, across the country.

Procedure on the designation of the universal service provider

According to the legal provisions in force, ANCOM has the obligation to designate, by 31 December 2024, one or several universal service providers to ensure the nationwide provision of the services included in the scope of universal service.

Consequently, ANCOM published a notice on the intention to designate one or several universal service provider (USP) for the provision of all the services within the scope of universal service. By the deadline set for this procedure, namely 17 October 2024, only one designation request was registered, from CNPR. Given that this request meets the legal provisions, ANCOM proposes the designation of CNPR as a universal service provider.

USP’s rights and obligations

As a universal service provider, CNPR will have, among others, the right to act in the international relations and conclude operational agreements, to use the specific international forms, as well as to charge special tariffs from all the users and integrators under transparent and non-discriminatory conditions, concerning both the tariffs themselves and the related conditions.

In view of ensuring the users’ access to the services within the scope of universal service, CNPR will have, inter alia, the obligation to ensure, in every locality from Romania, at least one clearance from each access point and at least one delivery to each indicated address, every working day, at least 5 days a week, except for the localities characterised by exceptional geographic conditions where the delivery frequency set by ANCOM is lower.

As well, the tariffs charged by CNPR for the provision of the postal services within the scope of universal service must be affordable, regardless of geographical location, transparent, non-discriminatory and cost-oriented, to stimulate the provision of an efficient universal service, taking into account the ensuring of the right of access to the universal service, as well as the development of the public postal network.

The CNPR may request compensation for the net cost related to the provision of services within the scope of the universal service, but only after the end of the financial year for the year for which the compensation is requested.

Public consultation procedure

The draft Decision on the designation of the National Company Romanian Post as a universal service provider in the postal field is available for consultation (in Romanian) here. To ensure the continuity of the provision of services within the scope of universal service after 31 December 2024, date on which the capacity of CNPR as a universal service provider expires, it is imperative to urgently adopt this draft decision, and therefore the consultation period is 10 days. Thus, the interested persons are invited to send their comments and suggestions, by 09.12.2024, to the ANCOM headquarters (2 Delea Noua Street, Bucharest 3), via the Online Registry or through the Regional Divisions of the Authority. Comments can also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.ro.