European Union: European Commission opened consultation on EU Delivery Act

On 6 October 2025, the European Commission (EC) opened a consultation on the EU Delivery Act until 29 December 2026. The consultation, prepared by the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), aims to modernise the EU postal regulatory framework, currently based on the Postal Services Directive (1997, revised in 2002 and 2008) and the Regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services (2018). The consultation follows a call for evidence for an impact assessment and addresses problems including the financial sustainability of the universal service obligation, the effectiveness of complaint handling systems, unequal application of legislation to parcel operators, cross-border delivery issues, and disproportionate administrative burdens. As policy options, the DG GROW lists merging the Postal Services Directive and the Cross-border Parcels Regulation into a single legal act, refocusing the framework on the delivery of goods while maintaining the inclusion of letter mail. The approach aims to secure efficient, affordable, and financially sustainable delivery services across the EU, strengthen consumer protection, particularly in e-commerce, ensure fair competition, enhance interoperability among cross-border partners, and simplify regulatory requirements. It may also introduce a content-based definition of delivery services, a targeted universal service for vulnerable users, and measures guaranteeing at least one affordable cross-border parcel delivery option for citizens and SMEs in each Member State.