AdC’s intervention expands the scope of CTT postal network access offer to competing operators and broadens consumer choice
The AdC’s investigation, initiated on 13 February 2015, revealed the existence of a number of obstacles to the development of effective competition in the market for standard mail services relating to the access to CTT’s standard mail delivery network, which prompted a statement of objections on 12 August 2016.
In order to address the competition concerns expressed by the AdC, CTT submitted on 22 December 2017 a set of commitments that expand the scope of CTT’s Postal Network Access Offer (Access Offer) available to competing postal operators. Such commitments can be described as follows:
1. Availability of new postal services in the Access Offer, notably publishing, priority and registered mail services;
2. Availability of new access points in CTT’s postal network, further downstream in the postal distribution chain, notably to the Inward Sorting Centres and to a wide range of CTT shops (except for standard mail weighing less than 50 gr);
3. Faster delivery time for access at CTT shops concerning standard mail weighing more than 50 gr and publishing mail;
4. Competing postal operators may carry out additional sorting tasks, notably sorting mail according to the delivery area of Delivery Offices and street name.
5. Access prices below retail prices for final customers, differentiated according to the access point, postal service and sorting tasks carried out by the competing postal operator.
Following public consultation, which allowed any third parties to present their comments, and after a number of minor adjustments to the commitments that improved the Access Offer to competing postal operators, the AdC concluded that the commitments presented by CTT were adequate so as to eliminate the potential harmful effects on competition and on consumer welfare.
According to the Portuguese Competition Act, the AdC may accept commitments offered by undertakings which are considered to be adequate in order to eliminate the effects on competition of the investigated conducts.
In this context, the AdC adopted a commitments decision on 05 July 2018.
The AdC monitors the implementation of CTT's commitments.
5 July 2018
