Postal services

Universal services
Providers of postal services
Electronic data collection (postal services)
Provision of postal services
Rights and obligations of postal services users
Postal bulletin

Under the Postal Services Act, CTU is responsible for protecting users and other postal service market participants. It maintains a list of providers, performs analyses of the general availability of the universal services and examines the need to impose the obligation to provide and ensure the universal services, makes decisions to grant postal licences and monitors whether the providers meet their obligations under this act.

According to Section 1(2) of the Postal Services Act, postal service is an activity carried out under the postal contract and under the conditions set out in the Postal Services Act. As a rule, the postal service comprises postal mail collection and its sorting and transportation over the postal network. The purpose of postal services is to deliver the mail to the recipient. Postal delivery of cash is also considered as postal service.

According to Section 1(3) of the Postal Services Act, the transportation of postal consignments by a party that was not involved in the collection, sorting or delivery of such consignments is not a postal service. A service similar to postal service carried out by the sender or by a party connected with the sender is also not a postal service.

According to Section 2(i) of the Postal Services Act, foreign postal service is a service whose provision was agreed outside the Czech Republic and whose purpose is to deliver postal consignments or amounts of cash in the Czech Republic, and which belongs to the sphere of postal services in the phase provided by the provider in the territory of the Czech Republic.

In case of any doubt as to whether or not a company provides postal services, it is possible to contact the Department of Communications and Postal Services Regulation of CTU, using the CTU’s contacts.

Business in postal services in the territory of the Czech Republic can be carried on under conditions set out in the Postal Services Act by individuals and legal entities that meet the general conditions. Authorisation to do business commences for these parties on the date of delivery of a written notification, which has to meet the requirements specified in Section 18(2) and (3) of the Postal Services Act.

The activities carried out by the CTU to ensure conditions for business and to exercise state administration in the postal services area include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Issue rules of practice for postal services,
  2. Maintain a list of providers,
  3. Make decisions in disputes on access to postal infrastructure,
  4. Cooperate with European Union bodies and the regulatory authorities of EU Member States,
  5. Carry out inspection of postal services,
  6. Impose, collect and enforce fines for breach of the obligations set out in the Postal Services Act,
  7. Provide the state statistical service, including data collection.

CTU also promotes the interests of users in order to ensure the provision of the universal services. The activities carried out by CTU for this purpose include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. perform analyses of the general availability of the universal services,
  2. impose the obligation to ensure general availability of universal services,
  3. take other measures to properly provide and ensure the universal services,
  4. ensure a high level of consumer protection in accordance with the provisions of the Postal Services Act,
  5. publish a report on how postal licence holders meet the obligations imposed on them.
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