Post & Courier Services
In the UK, the postal market is gradually opening up to competition. In other countries, such as the USA, the history of competition in post and courier services is much older. This section contains a range of documents on at competition in postal services, drawn largely from the UK and USA.
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Tackling Barriers to Entry in Postal Services: Final Decisions and Recommendations (PDF) Postal Services Commission, 2005 This document sets out Postcomm's decision on its policy on a number of other barriers to entry to the mails market, identified in the Competitive Market Review proposal document published in September 2004. UK
Giving Customers a Choice: A Fully Open Postal Services Market (PDF)
Postal Services Commission, 2005
Summary of responses to Postcomm's review of Royal Mail's Special Privileges Consultation, published January 2004 (PDF)
Postal Services Commission, 2004
Energywatch and Postwatch: Helping and Protecting Consumers (PDF)
National Audit Office (NAO), 2004
The Stationery Office
A report on the benefits of consumer representation bodies in the postal and electiricity markets.
A Revised Market Opening Timetable: Proposals for Consultation (PDF)
Postcomm, 2004
Proposals document reviewing the market opening timetable for UK postal services, which proposed to bring market opening forward to 1 January 2006.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Impact of Liberalisation on the Financial Performance of Consignia (PDF)
Andersen, 2002
Detailed report by Andersen on behalf of Postcomm, analysing the impact of liberalisation on the financial performance of Consignia and its business segments
Promoting Effective Competition in UK Postal Services (2002) (PDF)
Postcomm, 2002
A document which sets out Postcomm's policy for achieving effective competition within the postal market for small low cost items.
Opening the Post: Postcomm and Postal Services - Risks and Opportunities (PDF) National Audit Office, 2002 The Stationery Office A report on the commercialisation of the Post Office and the performance of the newly appointed regulator, Postcomm. UK
Frontier Report - The impact of Liberalisation on Efficiency: a Survey (PDF)
Frontier Economics, 2002
Survey by Frontier Economics for Postcomm, on possible impacts of liberalisation on efficiency.
Responses to Postcomm's Proposals for Promoting Effective Competition in UK Postal Services (PDF)
Postcomm, 2001
Responses to Postcomm's proposals for opening the market in postal services which was announced in January 2002.
The Impact of Competition in the Postal Sector (PDF)
Association of International Courier and Express Services, 2001
Report by the association of International Courier and Express Services about the impact of competition in the postal sector.
An Assessment of the Cost and Benefits of Consignia's Current Universal Service Provision (PDF)
Postcomm, 2001
Postcomm's assessment of the cost and benefits of the Universal Service Provision using the entry pricing method
Promoting Effective Competition in UK Postal Services (2001) (PDF)
Postcomm, 2001
Promoting Effective Competition between Postal Operators (PDF)
Postcomm, 2000
The first Postcomm consultation document seeking views on the introduction of competition into the UK postal services market.