22.07.2021

ANCOM is launching for public consultation the tariff regulation measures for a series of services which the National Company Romanian Post (CNPR) was designated to provide in its capacity as universal service provider in the postal field until 31 December 2024. The proposed measures are based on tariff ceilings and price cap formulae and establish the conditions under which these apply.

Regulatory measures proposed by ANCOM

According to the proposed regulations, CNPR will be able to set its tariffs for the services within the scope of universal service which it was designated to provide without exceeding however the maximum limit set according to the methodology proposed by ANCOM.

When setting the tariffs for the provided services, CNPR will need to take into account the consumer price index communicated by the National Statistics Institute for the year preceeding the one to which the formula applies, as well as elements reflecting the consumer price variation and the productivity of CNPR compared to the productivity of the national economy. To observe the limit imposed by ANCOM, CNPR will have to prudently set the tariffs to be applied, keeping into account inclusively the period in which these tariffs will apply, as well as the forecasted traffic volume for each of the categories of services included in the scope of the postal universal service.

CNPR’s obligations

CNPR has the obligation to notify ANCOM on all tariffs levied for the provision of services within the scope of postal universal service by 30 March for the tariffs charged in the previous year, while the Authority will have 60 days at its disposal to verify them. In case of any change of the tariffs set by CNPR according to the methodology proposed by ANCOM, the provider will notify the Authority thereon at least 30 days before applying these tariffs.

If the information submitted by CNPR reveals a higher tariff increase than the one resulted by applying the methodology set by ANCOM, the provider will have the obligation to adjust the tariffs in the year following this finding so as the additional difference charged compared to the applied increase could be compensated.

Postal services subjected to the tariff regulation

The postal services within the scope of universal service covered by the tariff regulation proposed by ANCOM are the following:

a) clearance, sorting, transport and delivery of domestic and cross-border postal items weighing up to (including) 2 kg, dealing with:

1. correspondence items, except for bulk correspondence items;

 2. printed matter items, except for bulk printed matter items;

 3. small packages, according to the provisions of the Universal Postal Convention and Letter-post Regulation, except for bulk small packages;

b) clearance, sorting, transport and delivery of domestic and cross-border postal parcels weighing up to (including) 10 kg, except for bulk parcels;

c) service for registered items dealing with the domestic and cross-border postal items weighing up to (including) 2 kg provided under letter a);

d) service for insured items dealing with:

1. the domestic and cross-border postal items weighing up to (including) 2 kg provided under letter a);

2. domestic and cross-border postal parcels weighing up to (including) 10 kg, except for bulk parcels.

Public consultation

The draft decision setting tariff regulation measures based on tariff ceilings and price cap formulae for the services within the scope of universal service provided by the National Company Romanian Post – S.A. in its capacity as universal service provider is available for consultation, in Romanian, here. Interested persons may send their comments and suggestions until 23.08.2021, to the ANCOM headquarters (2 Delea Noua Street, Bucharest 3), using the online Registry, or through the Authority’s Regional Divisions. Comments may also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402, or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.org.ro.

Additional information

Access to postal universal service is the right of every person to benefit from the uninterrupted provision of certain postal services (the services included in the scope of universal service), at a certain quality level, at any point throughout Romania, and at affordable tariffs.

ANCOM designated the National Company Romanian Post S.A. (CNPR) as universal service provider by the ANCOM President’s Decision no.1363/2019 for the provision accross national territory of all services within the scope of universal service for the 1 January 2020 – 31 December 2024 timeframe.

According to the legislation in force, respectively GEO no. 13/2013 on postal services, the tariffs charged by the universal service provider for the services within the scope of universal service which it has the obligation to provide must be affordable, irrespective of the geographic location, transparent, non-discriminatory and cost-oriented, and must stimulate the provision of an efficient universal service.

ANCOM may impose tariff ceilings and price cap formulae on the tariffs charged for the services within the scope of universal service, the means for setting or changing the tariffs for the services within the scope of universal service which the universal service provider has the obligation to provide and may set single-piece tariffs for the services within the scope of universal service.

The universal service provider has the obligation to make publicly available the tariffs charged for the services within the scope of universal service it has the obligation to provide, as well as any changes thereto, at least 30 days before the date on which these enter into force, under the conditions set by the regulatory authority.