In a second reading deal with the Council, the European Parliament confirmed the opening up of postal services. The market opening should be implemented by 2011, with the possibility for Member States which joined the EU after 2004 or with a difficult topography, such as Greece, to postpone market opening by a further of two years to 2013. Furthermore, in order to avoid market distortion and unfair competition, those Member States having opened their markets should be able to refuse authorisation to operators still protected by a national monopoly in another Member State. In addition, Member States will be able to reflect working conditions in their authorization procedures. They will also have the right to impose conditions on the supply of postal services for non-economic reasons, such as compliance with employment conditions and social security schemes, where these are laid down in law or by a collective agreement negotiated between national social partners.
Source: European Parliament