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Scope

CEN/TC 331 Postal Services has the following scope :
 measurement of quality of service
 hybrid mail
 tracing, identification, encoding and physical characteristics of mail
 address data and forms in order to increase the interoperability of postal networks
 improve the quality of service

Background

The postal sector is of great economic significance in Europe, with turnover representing around 1% of gross domestic product for the European Union as a whole. Furthermore, by their nature, postal services have a direct and substantial effect on the operation of the internal European market and on

European cohesion in general. Variations in services, and other obstacles and trade barriers arising out of the existing national basis of postal services affect both senders and recipients of mail and consequently the operation of trade within the territory of the Union.

With the operation of the Internal Market, and the trend towards modernisation of postal services with the introduction of advanced technology, there is a growing market orientation in the sector through the collaboration of service operators.

In order to address the relevant issues of European policy, in areas such as the internal market, the social aspects of postal services, and the regulatory position, the European Commission drew up in June 1992 a Green Paper on the development of the single market in postal services. Since the Green Paper, and based upon the

Council Resolution on the development of Community postal services of 7 February 1994, the European Commission adopted, in July 1995, legislative proposals for postal services consisting of a Proposal for European Parliament and Council Directive establishing common rules for the development of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service and a

Draft Notice on the application of the competition rules to the postal sector. The Green Paper, the Council Resolution and the European Commission proposals recommend, among other things, the promotion of a policy for postal services within the European Union, and emphasise the importance of standards in providing an appropriate level of service to users, and in particular the importance of technical standardisation in ensuring the interoperability of postal services. On 1 December 1997 the « Postal Directive » was adopted by the Council.

At the same time, postal operators have themselves recognised the value of standards in improving service and reducing costs, and have through the Universal Postal Union (UPU), co-operated in the development of a number of ISO standards in this area.

Following the issue of the Green Paper, and in support of the policy objectives mentioned above, the Commission, in consultation with the Senior Officials’

Groups on Post (SOGP) and on Information Technology Standardisation (SOGITS) issued a study and investigation mandate (M/022) in October 1993 to CEN/CENELEC/ETSI in the postal sector. This mandate requested a study of the adaptations and actions necessary to cover the postal sector : an evaluation of existing standards, the definition of an action plan for standards, and a complementary strategy for testing in this area. CEN replied in November 1995 with a final report covering these items and proposing a programme of standardisation.

The CEN report was based on work under CEN Programming Committee 8, Post. CENELEC and ETSI were represented on CEN/PC 8. The programme agreed by PC 8 consists of 15 items, which have been given three levels of priority. The items are listed in the Programme of Work as work items 00331001 - 00331015.

The report of PC 8 was approved by the CEN Technical Board (BT) on 14 March 1996. The BT also approved the recommendation of PC 8 to create a new Technical Committee, TC 331 Postal Services to carry out the technical work.

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