In March, the European Parliament approved the proposals of the European Commission, according to which parcel delivery services in cross-border e-commerce will have to make the prices of services available to the European Commission. The regulations will enter into force in May.
According to the provisions of the Regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services, the application of the new law will start in practice from 2019. One of the most important assumptions contained in the document is the increase in transparency of fees for cross-border services.
New duties of courier companies
All parcel delivery service providers shall submit to the national regulatory authority of the Member State in which they are established, where available, any publicly accessible price list applicable on 1 January of each calendar year for parcel delivery services” – reads the text of the regulation published on the website of the European Council.
Then, no later than by the end of February, national regulatory authorities shall provide the Commission with the public pricelists they have obtained, which in turn shall publish them on a dedicated website by 31 March each calendar year at the latest. The European Commission is to make sure that this site is neutral and non-commercial.
What impact will the new regulation have on the market?
Logistics operator GLS hopes that the new regulations will have a positive impact on competition not only among courier companies but also on the EU e-commerce market. Some companies are already publishing price lists on their official websites.
Thanks to new regulations, customers and entrepreneurs from the European Union will be able to compare offers quickly and conveniently and choose the best ones. On the other hand, the courier market is to promote healthy competition, but it can also contribute to the price war between operators.
Photo: Polish Post