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What it is

User rights at the post office and postal market rules

BOE step 7 of 7 · Passed

It is a government bill. Introduced by the Government. It was introduced on 30 July 2010. Introduced by: Gobierno.

Official title: Government bill on the universal postal service, user rights, and the postal market.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 121/000093· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The law guarantees all users a universal postal service of quality, provided permanently throughout the national territory and at affordable prices.
  2. It sets out a bill of rights for users: secrecy of postal communications, inviolability of mail, data protection, compensation for loss or damage, proof of deposit and delivery of certified items, forwarding and refusal of mail, among others.
  3. If a certified or declared-value item is lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged, the user is entitled to compensation, except in cases of force majeure.
  4. Complaints about loss, theft or poor service must be resolved and notified within a maximum of one month, and users can go to the consumer arbitration boards or the National Postal Sector Commission.
  5. It designates the state company Correos y Telégrafos, S.A. as the universal postal service operator for 15 years, with a regulatory contract renewed in five-year periods.
  6. The designated operator must collect and deliver mail at least every working day, Monday through Friday, including in rural areas, and deliver it to the address shown on the item.
  7. Companies wanting to provide postal services not included in the universal service only need to file a responsible declaration; for services included in it, a special administrative authorization is required.
  8. It establishes a system of offenses and penalties: fines range from €200 to €400,000 depending on whether the offense is minor, serious or very serious, and very serious ones can lead to revocation of the authorization.

Who it affects

  • Users of postal services: They have recognized rights such as confidentiality, compensation for lost items and complaints resolved within one month.
  • Correos y Telégrafos, S.A.: It is designated as the universal postal service operator for 15 years and must meet quality, collection and daily delivery obligations.
  • Private postal companies: They must file a responsible declaration or obtain a special administrative authorization, and can be fined if they break the law.
  • People with disabilities: Postal information and complaints must be fully accessible, removing barriers in offices and on the internet.

Words worth knowing

Servicio postal universal (universal postal service)
The set of quality postal services provided permanently throughout the territory at affordable prices for everyone.
Declaración responsable (responsible declaration)
A document in which a company declares it meets the legal requirements needed to start its activity.
Autorización administrativa singular (special administrative authorization)
A permit from the administration to provide postal services included in the universal service under market conditions.
Operador designado (designated operator)
The company entrusted by the State with providing the universal postal service; in this case, Correos.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.

  1. Introduced30 July 2010Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted3 September 2010The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendments8 September 2010Groups propose changes.
  4. Committee6 October 2010A committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenaryno dateAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senate10 November 2010The Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOE21 December 2010It is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 11 official steps on a timeline
Jul 2010Aug 2010Sept 2010Oct 2010Nov 201011. 30 July 2010: Presentación22. 3 September 2010: Comisión de Fomento Publicación desde 03/09/2010 hasta 08/09/201033. 3 September 2010: Calificación44. 8 September 2010: Comisión de Fomento Enmiendas desde 08/09/2010 hasta 20/10/201055. 6 October 2010: Comisión de Fomento Mesa - Calificación desde 06/10/2010 hasta 06/10/201066. 6 October 2010: Comisión de Fomento Debate de totalidad desde 06/10/2010 hasta 20/10/201077. 20 October 2010: Comisión de Fomento Informe desde 20/10/2010 hasta 03/11/201088. 3 November 2010: Comisión de Fomento Aprobación con competencia legislativa plena desde 03/11/2010 hasta 10/11/201099. 10 November 2010: Senado desde 10/11/2010 hasta 14/12/20101010. 14 December 2010: Pleno Enmiendas o veto del Senado desde 14/12/2010 hasta 21/12/20101111. 21 December 2010: Concluido - (Aprobado con modificaciones) desde 21/12/2010 hasta 08/02/2011

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.

The same initiative in the other chamber:

Published in the BOE: Law 43/2010, of December 30, on the universal postal service, user rights, and the postal market.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

Read the full method · Report an error