Regulatory and Economic Challenges in the Postal and Delivery Sector

Worldwide, there is considerable interest in postal and delivery economics. Governments, particularly in the European Union, are examining closely the roles of the two systems and how best to regulate them. This volume brings together 20 essays originally presented at the 12th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics held in Cork, Ireland in June 2004. Contributors include researchers, practitioners, and senior managers from throughout the world.

Competition, Universal Service and the Graveyard Spiral.- Will Entrants into a Liberalized Delivery Market Attract Investors.- Liberalization and Regulation of the Swiss Letter Market.- The Financial Equilibrium of Universal Service Providers in a Liberalized Postal Market.- Barriers to Entry in Post and Regulatory Responses.- Competition and the Coverage of Price Controls in the Postal Sector.- Worksharing, Pricing and Competition in the Postal Sector.- Access Pricing in the Postal Sector.- Delivery Costs II.- Delivery Costs for Postal Services in the UK.- The Effects of Worksharing and Other Product Innovations on U. S. Postal Volumes and Revenues.- ETOEs—Arbitrageurs or Vehicles of Change in Postal Liberalization?.- Universal Service Providers.- Selective Rate Discounts To Preserve First-Class Mail Volume.- Possible End Games in the European Postal Market.- Postal Liberalization in the EU.- Paper or Electronic?.- The Role of Pilot Projects in Facilitating Changes in Work Organization in the Postal Sector Canadian Case Study.- Power and Discretion in Independent Regulation.- United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.