Séjourné defends asymmetric EU postage rates, points to 2027 Delivery Act

In a written answer on 4 August 2026, Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné defended the persistence of asymmetric cross-border postage rates within the EU single market, arguing that the existing regulatory framework does not require uniform tariffs and that price differences can be explained by varying volumes, agreements, and cost structures. Responding to a parliamentary question from Markus Buchheit (ESN), Séjourné rejected the comparison with the 19th-century German postal union and the Universal Postal Union, stressing instead that the EU's Postal Services Directive obliges Member States to ensure a permanent universal service at affordable prices, including cross-border letters, but explicitly leaves room for cost-oriented pricing differences. He pointed to the Commission's planned EU Delivery Act, first announced in the Single Market Strategy of May 2025, as the vehicle for modernising the postal framework, with a proposal scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. The answer contains no concrete numerical targets or deadlines beyond the 2027 proposal, and no immediate harmonisation of postage rates is envisaged. The Delivery Act is intended to guarantee affordable deliveries across the EU while promoting fair competition and strengthening consumer protection, signalling a continued preference for market-based pricing over regulatory standardisation. The Commission's position pulls in a different direction from the questioner's call for uniform cross-border tariffs, reflecting a broader cleavage between consumer protection and business competitiveness in the postal sector. The answer is likely to be followed by further parliamentary scrutiny as the Delivery Act proposal approaches, with stakeholders such as national postal operators, cross-border e-commerce businesses, and consumers directly affected by the outcome.