Poczta Polska will retain its postal market monopoly thanks to Sejm

The state postal service company Poczta Polska will remain the monopolist on the domestic market, the Sejm decided yesterday. If the telecommunications bill accepted by the lower chamber of parliament on Thursday passes in the Senate, Poczta Polska will be the only operator in Poland to deliver "general" postal services. Other companies will be allowed to have a share only of the messenger service and the parcel-delivery markets. However, in order to enter those businesses, companies will have to apply for a license very similar to the ones they have had to apply for thus far. The nihil novi bill is supposed to eliminate a loophole in Polish law, since in the telecom regulations approved by the Sejm last year the issue of postal services was not even mentioned and legislation work on the postal services bill lags on. If not for yesterday's amendment, on July 1st Poland would have become the first country in Europe with its postal-service market fully liberalized. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 21) J.K