Today, 27 March 2009, the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) launches for public consultation a draft decision on the designation of the National Company Romanian Post (CNPR) as a universal service provider in the postal sector, starting from 26 April 2009 until 31 December 2012.
CNPR required the designation as a universal service provider, by submitting a designation request following the publication of the Authority’s intention to designate a universal service provider in the postal services sector. Another company, Posta Atlassib Curier Rapid, also submitted a designation request. The evaluation commission, however, established that the latter company does not hold sufficient technical, material and human resources to ensure the provision, in each Romanian locality, of any of the services within the scope of universal service.
The postal services within the scope of universal service are currently provided by CNPR, following its designation, in 2004, as a universal service provider.
According to the draft decision launched for public consultation, the designated provider will have the obligation to make available, throughout the country, the following: clearance, sorting, transport and delivery of domestic and cross-border correspondence items, printed matter and direct mail items weighing up to (including) 2 kg, clearance, sorting, transport and delivery of domestic and cross-border parcels weighing up to (including) 10 kg, distribution of the parcels weighing between 10 kg and (including) 20 kg sent from abroad to an address located on the territory of Romania, as well as the provision of the service of registered items and value added items for all the above-mentioned services.
The winner was designated based on the guaranteed coverage of the national territory, including: the density of the access and contact points of the postal networks operated by itself or by other postal service providers with which it has concluded contracts therefor; its experience in providing the postal services within the scope of universal service, for which the designation was requested, or other postal services; the technical, economic and financial capacity; the capacity of ensuring an even tariff level for the services within the scope of universal service provided countrywide.
Considering that the rights and obligations of CNPR, as a universal service provider, will cease on 25 April 2009, and in order to ensure the continuity as regards the provision of such services, so that the users’ right to have access to the services within the scope of universal service could be ensured, the current public consultation is to be carried out under emergency procedure.
Thus, the draft decision on the designation of the universal service provider in the postal services sector is available for consultation on ANCOM’s website. The interested persons are invited to send their comments and suggestions to the ANCOM headquarters (2 Delea Noua Street, sector 3, Bucharest) or directly to the ANCOM registration office, as well as to its territorial branches, no later than 06.04.2009. Comments may be sent, as well, by fax, to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@anrcti.ro.