Opinion of the BIPT Council of 28 September 2015 on the reform of the Belgian postal regulation

In November 2014, BIPT entrusted WIK-Consult with the task of drawing up a report aiming at comparing the market situation before and after its liberalisation, assessing the impact of the opening to competition and identifying possible remaining barriers in the Belgian postal market. More than a simple overview of the situation, this report was to provide a basis for further reflection on the relevance and efficiency of the current postal regulation and legislation. Based on the economic analysis of the Belgian postal market during the 2011-2014 period as well as the analysis of the current regulatory framework, and comparing the Belgian results to those of other European countries, WIK drew a series of conclusions leading to eleven recommendations of higher or lower priority. BIPT discussed seven of these recommendations considered particularly important in the context of a future reform of the Belgian postal regulation. Following the analysis of the legal and economic context, an opinion is delivered on the various themes covered.