Study on the main developments in the postal sector, 2013 - 2016

This call for tender is for a study that provides objective elements and evidence to assess the ongoing and future suitability of the current EU legal framework, i.e. the Postal Services Directive (PSD), in EU countires and EEA Member States.

The study will also allow a comprehensive assessment of the postal sector.

It will be an important part of the Commission’s commitment to monitor the postal market and closely evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the regulatory framework.

The findings will be used as key input for the obligation under Article 23 of the PSD to submit a report on the application of the Postal Services Directive to the European Parliament and Council.

Specifically, the study should provide an evidence-based assessment of:

1. the key changes in the letter and parcel delivery sector across the EU, including the growth of e-commerce and the role of new technologies and business models and their effects on competition and employment.
2. the impact of increasing digitalisation, letter volume decline and changing user needs on the sustainability of the universal service obligation (USO), and the implications for the current legal framework (the PSD).

The tender must comply with applicable environmental, social and labour law obligations established by EU law, national legislation, collective agreements or the international environmental, social and labour conventions listed in Annex X to the Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement.