Today, ANCOM has submitted for public consultation a draft decision whereby the Authority imposes a series of obligations in relation to the elaboration and content of the Philatelic Issuance Plan and establishes the issuance, printing, circulation, withdrawal and trading conditions for the postage stamps and postal stationeries. These obligations shall be imposed on two companies: Romfilatelia, in its capacity as exclusive holder of the right to issue, circulate and withdraw, as well as to trade the postage stamps and postal stationeries, and Romanian Post National Company (CNPR), which has the right to distribute and trade postage stamps and postal stationeries.
ANCOM has established a minimal set of provisions on the elaboration manner and content of the Philatelic Issuance Plan, an annual document comprising the number of philatelic issuances to be put into circulation in the following year, their theme and subjects, the issuance calendar, the issuance composition, the nominal values and the estimated run of the component stamps, as well as any other relevant aspects for putting into circulation the philatelic issuance.
Thus, by the 15th of August each year, Romfilatelia will establish and will submit to ANCOM – for approval – the plan of issuances to be put into circulation in the following year. Upon the approval, the Plan will be published by Romfilatelia on its own website, whereas amendments or additions can be made only under exceptional circumstances, thoroughly justified, and only with the consent of ANCOM.
Since ANCOM proposes that the Plan be elaborated in consideration of the CNPR needs in the following year, the latter will estimate its necessary of postage stamps, taking also into account the dynamics of the total volume of stamps used for stamping the postal items during 2 years prior to that for which the estimation is made.
As regards the issuance, printing, circulation, withdrawal and trading conditions for the postage stamps and postal stationeries, the draft decision provides that the postage stamps need to meet the following requirements: to have marked the text “Romania”, the nominal value followed by the name or symbol of the national currency and, optionally, the text “Romanian Post”; to indicate the issuance year, as per the special or commemorative issuances; to have sizes, on the vertical or horizontal axis, ranging between 15 mm and 55 mm; possible perforations or background images should not affect the clarity of the texts printed on the stamp; when case arises, a clear distinction between the nominal value and the supplementary tax needs to be made.
Regarding the trading, the postage stamps and postal stationeries intended for stamping postal items will be sold by means of the access points served by personnel of CNPR, whereas the stamps with philatelic value will be sold by Romfilatelia directly or by means of other persons.
A philatelic issuance will be withdrawn by Romfilatelia if there is a run exhaustion of an issuance in a rate of at least 90%, as well as if the nominal value of at least one stamp of the respective issuance does not reflect anymore the level of tariffs charged by CNPR for the provided postal services.
The document to comprise the issuance, printing, circulation, withdrawal and trading conditions for the postage stamps and postal stationeries will be drawn up by Romfilatelia, will be sent to ANCOM for approval and will be published on the website of Romfilatelia.
The draft decision is available for consultation on the ANCOM website, here. The interested persons are invited to send their comments and suggestions, by 08.11.2010, at the ANCOM headquarters in 2 Delea Noua Street, Bucharest 3, or directly to the Registry. Comments and recommendations may also be sent by fax to +40 732 845 404 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.org.ro.