Cross-border parcel delivery services: transport MEPs approve provisional deal with Council 

Press Releases 
 
 

A provisional agreement on rules to help make cross-border parcel delivery rates fairer and more transparent was approved by the Transport and tourism Committee on Tuesday.

The rules agreed between Parliament and Council negotiators on 13 December aim to provide greater clarity of cross-border delivery prices and boost oversight by national authorities, in order to address complaints of high delivery prices by consumers and small businesses and to boost online purchases of goods and services. 

 

Improved monitoring of prices

 

The draft rules empower national authorities to monitor cross-border delivery prices and assess those they deem unreasonably high.

 

Parcel delivery companies will also give information to national regulators each year on their employment practices for people they employ to deliver parcels and on the sub-contractors that they use.

 

Better information to consumers

 

According to the approved text, the Commission will publish the lists of prices on a dedicated website to enable consumers and retailers to compare the rates. A provision is also included so that when consumers order goods from another EU country they will be given specific information on prices charged and the delivery options available.

 

Quote

 

“These new rules are an important element of the Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy in supporting e-commerce growth as part of a modern and fair social Europe. In this context, we are confident that we will assist in securing for the parcels sector more transparency of tariffs and employment practices and a better deal for consumers and small businesses ordering cross-border parcels”, said Lucy Anderson (S&D, UK), rapporteur and lead negotiator for the European Parliament.

 

Next steps

 

The text now needs to be approved by the full house of the Parliament and the Council.

 

Background

 

The proposal for cross-border parcel delivery services is part of a package of measures to boost e-commerce and enable consumers and companies to buy and sell goods and services online more easily. The new rules will apply to all the major players in the parcels industry, including e-commerce and large multinational companies.

 

A Eurobarometer survey identified high parcel delivery costs as a major problem for businesses and consumers when buying and selling online and high cross-border parcel prices do not always reflect the underlying costs involved, according to the Commission.

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