18th Königswinter Postal Seminar
The continuing rise of e-commerce packets and the decline of traditional mail volume are calling for change in postal markets. Postal operators are adapting their operations and seeking efficiency gains in response to volume decline. At the same time, they are improving service levels for e-commerce deliveries. As markets change, postal legislation is being modernised in several European countries, and the European Commission has begun a process to evaluate the Postal Services Directive.
International e-commerce continues to be a major area of growth in the postal market. With the UPU's Extraordinary Congress, 2019 has been an exceptionally important year for international postal services. While reform of the UPU's terminal dues system has been agreed, the next big challenge to this market are changes in customs procedures that will become effective in 2021 in the EU.
WIK's 18th Königswinter Postal Seminar will provide a forum for discussing recent developments in the postal market, and current challenges for operators, policy-makers, regulators, and customs authorities. We are pleased to invite you to participate in this seminar. It will take place on 9-10 December 2019 at Hirschburg castle in the hills of Königswinter (near Bonn).
Our programme includes presentations by high-level speakers from postal operators, regulators, and international organisations who will share with you their views, experience, and insights.
Programme:
|
Monday, December 9 |
12:00 Uhr |
Welcome & Registration |
12:30 - 13:30 Uhr |
Lunch |
Session 1: International mail markets & UPU |
|
Chair: Alex Dieke, Director and Head of Department, WIK |
|
13:30 - 14:10 Uhr |
Results of the 2019 UPU Congress & the state of international mail markets |
14:10 - 14:50 Uhr |
From Geneva to Abidjan: The next hot issues at the UPU |
14:50 - 15:30 Uhr |
International mail: market trends, opportunities, and challenges in Spain |
15:30 - 16:00 Uhr |
Coffee Break |
|
Session 2: Overcoming borders: Customs and VAT on postal imports |
|
Chair: James I. Campbell Jr., Attorney and Independent Consultant |
16:00 - 16:40 Uhr |
EU customs procedures and import VAT: On the way to 2021 |
16:40 - 17:20 Uhr |
EU customs procedures and import VAT: On the way to 2021 |
19:30 Uhr |
Reception at Hirschburg |
20:00 Uhr |
Dinner |
Tuesday, December 10 |
|
Session 3: Improving efficiency in delivery |
|
|
Chair: Iris Henseler-Unger, General Manager and Director, WIK |
09:00 - 09:40 Uhr |
Delivery letter and parcels in Europe: Trends & challenges in postal operations |
09:40 - 10:20 Uhr |
Procurement of universal services in Finland |
10:20 - 11:00 Uhr |
Adapting to changing market conditions - alternate day delivery in Norway |
11:00 - 11:30 Uhr |
Coffee Break |
|
Session 4: Experience from regulators |
Chair: Antonia Niederprüm, Senior Economist, WIK | |
11:30 - 11:10 Uhr |
Postal service in Spain: Market trends and regulatory challenges |
12:10 - 12:50 Uhr |
What has been the experience of giving Royal Mail more commercial freedom? |
12:50 - 14:00 Uhr |
Lunch |
Session 5: Future directions for postal regulation |
|
Chair: Sonja Thiele, Senior Economist, WIK |
|
14:00 - 14:40 Uhr |
Reforming the Postal Act in Germany |
14:40 - 15:20 Uhr |
NRA experience with implementing the Postal Directive |
15:20 - 15:30 Uhr |
Concluding Remarks |
15:30 Uhr |
Coffee / Seminar ends |
You will find the full list of speakers on our workshop programme: https://www.wik.org/fileadmin/Konferenzbeitraege/2019/18th_Koenigswinter_Seminar/Programme.pdf
Our ambition in organising this seminar is to have intense discussion among all participants: regulators and operators, e-retailers and trade associations, researchers and policy-makers. The number of participants is limited to 50, and there will be ample time for discussion.
We would be delighted to welcome you to our Postal Seminar. Please register before 22 November 2019. We will accept registrations on a first come, first served basis. To register, please use our registration form: https://www.wik.org/fileadmin/Konferenzbeitraege/2019/18th_Koenigswinter_Seminar/Registration.pdf
Accommodation during the seminar is available at Hirschburg castle, the seminar venue. To reserve your room, please use this form: https://www.wik.org/fileadmin/Konferenzbeitraege/2019/18th_Koenigswinter_Seminar/Hotel_Registration.pdf
Location:
Hirschburg - Vodafone GmbH’s seminar and convention centre - Hirschburg 1 - 53639 Königswinter
If you need travel information to Königswinter, please consult: https://www.wik.org/fileadmin/Konferenzbeitraege/2019/18th_Koenigswinter_Seminar/Travel_Information.pdf
Do not hesitate to contact me for any questions about the seminar. Please contact Tamara Orlowski (postal-seminar@wik.org, tel +49 2224 922521) for questions concerning registration, accommodation, transfer, and other practical information.
Best regards
Alex Dieke
Ort: Hirschburg, Königswinter