The European Commission has delayed a long-awaited overhaul of Europe’s post and parcel delivery rules until early 2027, officials have told Euractiv.

The EU is still using postal rules written for the age of letters, while the main focus of business has moved on to parcels, e-commerce, and private delivery firms.

The EU Delivery Act had been included in the Commission’s 2026 work programme, with a proposal initially expected after the summer. But an EU official also confirmed that the legislation will be moved to 2027.

The plan is to bring two sets of rules into one: the Postal Services Directive and the rules on cross-border parcel delivery, to bring the postal system into the e-commerce age.

Back when the first rules were updated in 2008, letters still paid for much of the postal network. Mail volumes were steady, national postal operators had more protection, and the economics of delivering post to every household were easier to defend.

Then, bills, passports, and tax forms moved online. And at the same time, e-commerce boomed. Europe now handles around 12 million parcel deliveries a day, and the market is expected to keep growing as more private companies take a larger share.

The Commission is currently preparing an impact assessment, which is likely to be completed in June after a three-month public consultation. The delay, however, means the formal legislative proposal is not expected until early 2027, according to the sources.

It also means Europe’s post will continue to run on rules written for a letterbox economy, even as the online shopping parcels keep piling up.

(bw)