Vol. 485 No. 2
105 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise when she will introduce a national regulatory authority for the postal services designed to ensure that there is competition in the provision of postal services in accordance with the decisions which she endorses which were taken at the telecommunications council on 18 December 1996. [22785/97]
The EU Directive on Common Rules for the Development of the Internal Market of Community Postal Services and the improvement of Quality of Service was adopted at the Council of Telecommunications Ministers meeting on 1 December, 1997. The Directive was based on a draft agreed at the Telecommunications Council of 18 December, 1996.
The directive requires member states to establish a national regulatory authority for the postal sector. The framework within which the national regulatory authority will operate is set out in the directive.
The directive will be published in the European Commission Official Journal in early 1998 and member states will have one year from the date of publication to transpose the directive into national law. I am confident that the directive will be transposed into Irish law within that period.
