Efficient and reliable postal services are a vital component of communication services in the EU affecting the everyday lives of all citizens as well as all business sectors. Other sectors such as e-commerce, publishing, mail order, insurance, banking and advertising depend heavily on the postal infrastructure. Postal services encompass a variety of services, from letters to parcels to value-added services.

The purpose of competition policy in this sector is to ensure that efficient, reliable and high quality postal services are available to all citizens and businesses at affordable prices. Formerly regulated sectors such as postal services, historically dominated by state-owned monopolies, pose particular challenges in terms of ensuring that the behaviour of these former monopolies does not stifle competition and in particular competition deriving from new entrants.  

The Commission can do this in two ways: by opening up the postal services markets to competition, and by enforcing competition rules where relevant.

> Read full Postal services Overview