BONN (dpa-AFX) - In the debate on the reform of the Postal Act, federal politicians have called for new rules to bring about a reduction in letter postage. "If the postal service is granted relief under this reform and it takes longer to send letters, then this must be reflected in the price for consumers: the postage for a standard letter should become cheaper or at least remain constant for a very long time," said Reinhard Houben, economic policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag. Politicians from the SPD and the CSU argue similarly.

The Federal Ministry of Economics recently published a key points paper, according to which the obligation to deliver letters as quickly as possible should be softened or even abolished. The paper is a basis for discussion of the upcoming reform of the Postal Act, which was last fundamentally changed in 1999. Until now, the Post Office has had to deliver 80 percent of letters on the next working day. In the view of the ministry, however, such a requirement is no longer in keeping with the times, because letter dispatch is no longer about speed, but only about reliability.

Hansjörg Durz, a CSU member of the Bundestag, sees a change in the time requirement as a "good signal for climate protection. He is referring to the planes that are still on the road in Germany carrying letters for Deutsche Post. Deutsche Post could do without these planes if it had less time pressure on mailings.

If the 80 percent obligation were to be overturned, the average waiting time for letters would increase. Many consumers would see this as a disadvantage. For the Bonn-based company, on the other hand, it would be good news: it could cut costs. However, Christian Socialist Durz believes that such a concession to the Post should not be made simply like that. "If you reduce quality, you also have to make sure that the price goes down. Because less service for the same price: that would be a whopping postage increase through the back door."

Part of the reform debate is also the question of whether there should be a kind of two-tier mail system in the future - in other words, fast more expensive letters and slow cheaper letters. Exactly what such a system might look like is still unclear. From the Green Party member of the Bundestag Sandra Detzer it says: "A graduation of the postage depending on the delivery time can be part of the considerations from our point of view."

SPD Member of Parliament Sebastian Roloff considers a reform of the so-called transit times "conceivable in principle." The various models will be discussed "without any pre-determinations," he says, adding that slower letters "should consequently also be cheaper."

Letter postage now generally rises every three years. In 2019, domestic mailing of a standard letter became 10 cents more expensive, to 80 cents; in 2022, postage moved up 5 cents, to 85 cents. At the beginning of 2025, the current postage will expire, and under current rules, prices will likely continue to go up.

When it comes to such price increases, Deutsche Post has to follow a framework set by the German Federal Network Agency. The company argues that the last price increase was based on the assumption of low inflation. This no longer corresponds to reality. Compared to other countries, German postage is low, 32 percent below the average postage in the EU, despite higher wages and stricter quality requirements, the company says.

If the considerations of the key points paper were to be adopted in the legislative process, Deutsche Post would still have a certain amount of time pressure in the future - but it would be much weaker than before. Currently, 95 percent of letters have to be delivered on the next but one working day. According to the key issues paper, such a requirement should be tightened up, i.e. the percentage value could be increased. However, it is possible that such a requirement would then no longer relate to the day after next, but to the following day - i.e., the third day after the letter is posted.

Industry experts are skeptical about the demands from politicians. "If postage were to fall, Swiss Post would receive less money and it would be questionable whether the company could ensure the quality of delivery in the long term," says logistics professor Kai-Oliver Schocke of the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. Referring to the current wage dispute at Deutsche Post, he adds that the company's domestic personnel costs will in all likelihood rise significantly. "If the German mail business is made unattractive by the reform, Deutsche Post could lose interest in its domestic business and instead focus on its very profitable international business." Then there would be a threat of job cuts in Germany.

Letters could travel longer in the future without the Post violating any obligations. But if there is a "serious, repeated and persistent" failure to meet the minimum level, it could face fines from the Federal Network Agency - at least that is what is proposed in the key points paper. Federal politicians from the SPD, CDU/CSU and FDP are in favor of such sanctions. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology plans to present an initial draft bill by the summer, and the reform of the Postal Act should then be adopted by the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024./wdw/DP/stw