Press release

FEPE challenges planned postal reform in Germany

Reform would reduce postal delivery quality

Düsseldorf, February 9, 2023

FEPE (Federation for Envelopes, Light Packaging and Ecommerce Packaging in Europe) has sharply criticized the current key issues paper by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on a new postal law.

The proposed reform would noticeably reduce the quality standards for postal delivery. In particular, the previous legal requirement that an average of at least 80% of domestic German mail must be delivered on the following working day is being questioned. The postal delivery frequency is also up for discussion in the legislative process.

In FEPE’s opinion, increasing the time window allowed for post to be delivered would lower the delivery standards and have significant negative consequences for the entire sector, which is currently already suffering from quality problems, particularly at Deutsche Post AG.

In 2022, according to FEPE, several billion invoices, payment reminders, reminders and official letters were sent by post in Germany alone. The companies were and are dependent on safe and timely delivery.

But authorities would also suffer from a possible deterioration in delivery standards, since the digital channels recommended by the Ministry of Economic Affairs are not available to many older people. The same applies to minority groups who often do not have their own internet access.

In common with several other associations, FEPE is therefore calling for the previous legal delivery standards for analogue mail to be retained and, in addition, for the current quality problems at the postal service providers to be resolved quickly.

 

About FEPE (Federation for envelopes and for light and ecommerce packaging in Europe)

FEPE is an international association representing more than 100 companies directly or indirectly linked to the envelope industry in Europe. These are envelope manufacturers envelope printers and suppliers to the envelope industry. Most of the members are located in Europe. However, FEPE has a number of international members who have an interest in European envelope manufacturing.

FEPE was founded in 1957 with the aim of supporting the industry and its members. In 2007, its office moved from Zurich to Brussels in order to be able to promote the industry in Europe in an even more targeted manner.