21 December 2011
The National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) communicated to the Romanian Post National Company (CNPR) and to the European Commission the Revised list of localities characterised by exceptional geographical conditions where CNPR, in its capacity as a Universal Service provider (USP), has certain reduced obligations as to ensuring access to postal services within the scope of Universal Service. The special status of these localities is given by the precarious infrastructure, the geographical position (e.g. hard accessible mountainous areas), as well as by the small number of inhabitants, the list including, among others, localities with less than 10 inhabitants.
ANCOM included in the aforementioned list 222 new localities identified as being characterised by exceptional geographical conditions, raising their total number to 604. In these localities, CNPR has the obligation to ensure every week at least two clearances from every access point and at least two deliveries to the home or premises of every natural or legal person residing within the built-up areas.
The majority of localities characterised by exceptional geographical conditions (117) are found in Alba county, accounting for approx. 20% of the total number of such localities, whereas Iasi, Olt and Valcea counties hold each only one locality falling in the ambit of exceptional geographic conditions. This type of localities does not exist in Dambovita, Giurgiu and Ilfov counties. The full list of such type of localities is available for consultation on the ANCOM website, here.
In 2011, CNPR proposed ANCOM to add 5,417 localities to the List of localities characterised by exceptional geographical conditions. Nevertheless, upon analysing each case, via the controls conducted by ANCOM, as well as upon examining the documents released by local authorities, ANCOM decided to complement the List with only 222 localities.
CNPR was designated as USP in 2009 upon the ANCOM publication of a notice on the intention to designate the USP in the postal sector. The USP has the obligation to ensure, in each Romanian locality, at least one clearance from every point of access and at least one delivery to the home or premises of every natural or legal person, during every working day and not less than five days a week. By derogation from these provisions, CNPR has the obligation to ensure at least two clearances from every access point and at least two deliveries to the home or premises of every natural or legal person, every week, in the case of circumstances or geographical conditions deemed exceptional.
In line with the decision on the CNPR designation as USP, based on CNPR proposals, ANCOM establishes the localities characterised by circumstances or geographical conditions deemed exceptional. ANCOM may revise the List upon CNPR proposal or ex officio.