The new regulation will lead to more transparent delivery rates and a drop in shipping prices
Good news for everyone who’s keen on online shopping: the European Parliament came to an agreement with the European Council and the European Commission last night, deciding to pass a new regulation on cross-border parcel delivery, reports Večernji list on December 14, 2017.
After seven hours of negotiations, all the parties agreed to introduce a new regulation, ending a year-long process that had Croatian MEP Biljana Borzan working as a negotiator for the European Parliament.
“Great news from Strasbourg this holiday season! Following very demanding negotiations, we finally have a deal on the Regulation on cross-border parcel delivery with the Council and the Commission. We accomplished a lot! The new Regulation will ensure transparency of the market by granting more authority to regulators, in our case HAKOM (Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries). All tariffs that are not reflecting the actual cost of delivery will be reported to the European Commission, leading to a drop in delivery prices”, Borzan stated.
A good example of a shipping practice that might soon start to get reported to the EC is the Croatian Post charging recipients an additional fee of 4.5 kuna for delivery of small parcels, regardless of whether they’ve already paid for shipping. According to Borzan, she has already received confirmation from the EC about the practice in question not being in effect anywhere else in the EU.
Cross-border delivery rates are about to become more transparent, enabling customers to compare tariffs and opt for the best ones.
Where online shopping is considered, the cost of shipping often turns out to be the deciding factor for consumers. “70 percent of EU citizens complain about delivery rates being too expensive, and more than 50 percent don’t know what to do in case of delivery-related issues. This is why I introduced the obligation for traders to list all delivery options they offer to consumers, along with a comparison of price levels. In addition, the consumers need to be informed on the recommended course of action in case they experience problems during the delivery process”, Borzan explained.
