Postal Service Market

Postal services comprise receiving, dispatching, transporting, and delivering mail items. The postal service market is divided among providers, who are listed in the Agency’s official register (only the Slovene version is currently available).

The Agency’s work in the area of postal services is governed by the Postal Services Act (ZPSto-2), which is fully harmonized with EU directives. It determines the competences of the Agency, which must operate in a transparent manner and ensure that in similar circumstances there is no discrimination among postal service providers and postal service users.

Market Liberalization

Gradual liberalization of the postal service market in Slovenia has been underway since 1997. On 3 August 2009, the new Postal Services Act, which transposes the principles of the 2008/6/EC Postal Directive and provides for the complete liberalization of the postal sector, came into force. The act abolishes the exclusive right to provide reserved postal services (delivery of letters and cards weighing less than 50 g), and since 1 January 2011 these services can be performed by other postal service providers, including providers of interchangeable postal services, which also have the right to access the postal network.

Provision of Postal Services

The Agency issues a declaratory order to a provider of interchangeable postal services if it establishes that the provider wishes to perform services that, from the users’ aspect, might be deemed interchangeable with the services from the segment of universal postal services.

Other postal service providers are only entered in the register of postal service providers

Postal service providers in the Republic of Slovenia are listed in the official register of postal service providers.

Providers of Interchangeable Postal Services

Providers of interchangeable postal services provide services which, from the users’ aspect, might be deemed as services from the segment of universal postal service, as they are sufficiently interchangeable with universal service. If the Agency concludes this based on a notification, it issues a declaratory order.  

Providers of interchangeable postal services must:

• contribute to the compensation fund for covering the net costs of universal postal service,

• pay an annual fee to the Agency,

• follow all the provisions applying to postal service providers as prescribed by the Postal Services Act or bylaws based on the act.

Mail Confidentiality

Postal service providers may not acquire information on the content of mail or data on facts and circumstances of postal traffic. If this is necessary for providing the postal service or resolving claims and complaints, providers can acquire this information only in the extent and for the period of time necessary to provide postal services and resolve claims or complaints.

Confidentiality of mail is described in more detail under Article 53 of the Postal Services Act.