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POST
 

Postal services are an essential instrument of communication and information exchange and they play the role of vital importance in pursueing the goals of social, economic and territorial cohesion of the European Union (EU).

Important territorial and social aspects through which everyone is able to enjoy basic services, are characteristic to postal networks.

The annual revenue of EU postal market ( letter-post items, postal parcels and express services) normally reaches about 94 billion euros and generates 1 percent of EU Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In accordance with the data of 1 July 2010 the revenue of the Lithuanian postal market (postal services, courier services) generated about 0,3 percent of Lithuania’s GDP.

 

Postal and Courier Service Providers

 

At present 73 postal service providers operate in Lithuanian post and courier market, the general annual income of which make about 226 million litas.

The Postal Law of the Republic of Lithuania, the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania, the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Protection of Users Rights, the Regulations of the Provision of Universal Postal Services stipulate the basic rights and responsibilities of the users of postal and courier services.

 

Universal Postal Services

 

Universal postal services (UPS) shall include:

1) the clearance, distribution, transport and delivery or handing in of letter-post items of up to 2 kilograms;

2) the clearance, distribution, transport and delivery or handing in of postal parcels of up to 10 kilograms;

3) the clearance, distribution, transport and delivery or handing in of registered or insured postal items;

4) the delivery or handing in of postal parcels of up to 20 kilograms received from other Member States of EU.

 

Universal Postal Service Provider 

 

Stock Company Lietuvos paštas (www.post.lt) is the only enterprise obliged to provide universal postal services in the entire territory of the country. The state owns all the shares of AB Lietuvos paštas. In the company the rights of the state granted by the ownership of the shares are represented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania.

The universal postal service provider shall ensure non-interrupted provision of universal postal services in the entire territory of the country on equal conditions to all users, on every working day and not less than five days a week

 

The Organizational Structure of AB Lietuvos paštas

 On 30 November 2010 AB Lietuvos paštas had the network of 873 UPS provision outlets consisting of 726 stationary post offices (in cities – 214, in rural areas – 512), 12 branch post offices ( in cities – 8, in rural areas – 4) and 135 UPS provision outlets are served with 28 mobile posts.

Pursuant to the data of 30 November 2010, 274 post offices (in cities – 203 and in rural areas – 71) and 7 branch post offices are computerized, 452 post offices (in cities – 11, in rural areas – 441) and 5 branch post offices as well as 28 mobile posts are not computerized.

 

 

Integration into International Organizations

              Lithuania is a member of Universal Postal Union (UPU; www.upu.int). During the UPU Congress in 2008 was elected to the Council of Administration of UPU. Lithuania is a member of European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT; www.cept.org). Postal issues make part of the activities of the CEPT European Committee for Postal Regulation (CERP).

The designated operator Stock Company Lietuvos paštas is a member of two international organizations – the European public postal operators association PostEurop (www.posteurop.org) and Baltic Postal Union. 

 

 

Latest news

              Directive 2008/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 2008 amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to the full accomplishment of the internal market of Community postal services has set the date for the liberalization of the postal sector: from 1 January 2011 all the Member States except 11 (including Lithuania) open their postal markets fully to competition, the rest of them may postpone the liberalization of the postal market until 31 December 2012. 

Member States have the obligation to guarantee the provision of high-quality universal service at all points in their territory at affordable prices.

              On 22 December 2009 the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania adopted the Law No. XI-628 amending and complementing the Articles 2, 3 5, 6, 7, 8 of the Postal Law of the Republic of Lithuania, by which the issuance of licences and general authorizations to the postal services providers have been withdrawn (Žin., 2010, 1-33).  

The documents adopted and amended during the UPU Geneva Congress of 2008 were ratified by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania by the Law of 2010 No. XI-1111 (Žin., 2010, 137-7008).

On 9 December 2010 the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania adopted the amendment of the Postal Law of the Republic of Lithuania anticipating the imposition of economic sanctions on postal service providers violating the law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Atnaujinta: 2011-07-05 08:20:29