Bundestag approves reform of the Postal Act

The German Bundestag has approved the reform of the outdated Postal Act. In future, at least 95% of letters posted today will be delivered to the recipient three working days later, one day later than before, and 99% on the fourth working day after the day of posting. The law still has to be approved by the Federal Council.

The background for the first comprehensive reform of the law in 25 years is the changing importance of letters and the associated demands on the universal postal service, the growing parcel volumes and the effects of intense competition on the working conditions of employees, as stated in the draft law (PDF). Added to this is the impact of increasing delivery traffic on nature and the environment as well as the advancing digitalization on all areas of the postal sector. It is to be expected that letter volumes will continue to decrease, which will make it even more expensive to provide universal services.

Priority letters and infrastructure requirements

So anyone waiting for an urgent letter may have to be patient. However, Swiss Post offers the option of sending items faster than standard letters as so-called priority letters for an additional charge. The law also provides for stricter rules on the use of subcontractors. Companies that use subcontractors must check them or have them checked.

It should be easier to set up postal machines. The infrastructure requirements of the law state: "There must be at least 12,000 universal service branches nationwide. They must be open every working day in line with demand. A universal service provider must operate at least one universal service branch in all municipalities and in all contiguously built-up residential areas with more than 2,000 inhabitants." The Federal Network Agency can approve automated stations instead of universal service branches if they are barrier-free and can be used without their own technical equipment.

Digitization includes postal customers being able to submit defect reports centrally via a digital platform in future. The Federal Network Agency is to develop a defect reporter in the form of an online portal provided on the Federal Network Agency's website. The agency is to publish the findings from this portal, as well as from reports submitted via other channels.

The law also provides for the testing of new models for postal services, as digitalization will also affect the postal sector. As examples of previous changes, the law lists the traceability and redirectability of
and "innovative forms of delivery, some of which are available to users 24 hours a day". In order to be able to test new models, the Federal Network Agency should be able to make exceptions to the universal service requirements and the general quality requirements.

"More bureaucracy" vs. the "fight against organized crime"

Hansjörg Durz from the CSU saw a lot of "regulatory weeds" in the law during today's debate in the Bundestag. Regulation would not be reduced and the postal sector would not be released into the free market. The government had failed to introduce more freedom and reduce bureaucracy, he said, with the law imposing various reports on companies and the Federal Network Agency. His parliamentary group colleague Jan Metzler (CDU) said that the "appropriate distribution between automated and regular branches" formulated in the law was vague. Practice would have to prove whether it was a good idea.

SPD MP Sebastian Roloff emphasized that only companies that observe rules for employees, such as working hours and the minimum wage, should enter the postal market. Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMWK, did not also address working conditions, emphasizing the aspect of organized crime in the postal and parcel sector. With the votes of the CDU, the Bundesrat had called on the federal government to take action in this area. Lukas Köhler from the FDP sees the law as a balance between

(anw)