MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
10 February 2000
pursuant to Rule 42(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by Mr Hatzidakis
on behalf of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism
on European postal services
B5-0116/2000
European Parliament resolution on European postal services
The European Parliament,
- having regard to European Parliament and Council Directive 97/67/EC on common rules for the development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service[1],
- having regard to its resolution of 14 January 1999[2],
A. reiterating yet again its position concerning the need for a high quality universal service as a key objective of Directive 97/67/EC and as an essential element of any EC policy in this area,
B. recalling that the Commission was required under Article 7 of Directive 97/67/EC to table new proposals before the end of 1998 on the pursuit of progressive and controlled liberalisation of the internal postal market and that this proposal has not been submitted to date,
C. mindful of the economic and social importance of postal services in the European Union and therefore the importance of impact studies undertaken by the Commission in this field,
D. whereas, to date, the Commission has not responded to the requests laid down by the European Parliament in its abovementioned resolution of 14 January 1999,
1. Repeats its request that the Commission forward the various feasibility studies on the economic and social impact of the liberalisation possibilities as foreseen;
2. Asks the Commission to take account of Parliament's active role in the preparation of the new proposal, as stipulated in Article 7(3) of Directive 97/67/EC, in order to facilitate the legislative procedure and to compensate for the accumulated delays on the Commission's inability to act;
3. Asks the Commission to adopt a position on the statements set out in its abovementioned resolutions of 14 January 1999 before tabling any specific proposals;
4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the parliaments of the Member States.