The plenary meeting of EU Parliament will end in Strasbourg today, after four days, with a debate on the steps that could be taken to bring the EU and Ukraine closer, a report on the "effectiveness of the cohesion policy in reducing differences in the poorest regions" of the old continent, and a poll on some files. One of the resolutions passed by the Assembly concerns the decision to go ahead with the last stage of the deregulation of the postal services, regarding parcels weighing less than 50 grams. The resolution will come into force on 1st January 2011, two years later than the Commission hoped for, but exceptions will be made, especially in the Eastern countries and in Greece. The MEPs ask for "reasonable prices" and "compensation of citizens when mail goes astray or is damaged". The report, which was approved by a wide majority, was submitted by the German MEP Markus Ferber and is included in the 1997 policy for the opening of the post markets to competition. The state monopoly will slowly be taken over by private companies: "The further opening of the market explained Ferber will benefit the consumers and the small- and medium-sized ompanies, both as forwarders and as recipients of postal parcels". (continued)
