Most EU countries do not include alternative delivery operators within the scope of postal regulation. In particular, such operators include delivery companies that have emerged from the sharing economy and online sales platforms. These new operators deliver all types of goods ordered online, including books, clothes and food.

Cullen International’s new research found that only a few of the 22 studied countries consider alternative delivery operators to be postal services providers (PSPs), within the meaning of the the Postal Services Directive or parcel delivery service providers under the Cross-border parcel regulation.

Parcel locker operators are considered to be PSPs in only six of the researched countries. In Spain, pickup from a parcel locker is considered parcel delivery. The mere ownership of parcel lockers is not assumed to constitute a postal service.

In Finland and Sweden, the law explicitly recognises that the parcel lockers of the universal service provider can be used as a part of the access point network to fulfil the requirements related to the universal service obligation.

Sharing economy companies and e-commerce platforms are considered to be PSPs in Belgium, unless they only distribute their own goods through their own network or using one or more exclusive subcontractors.

In most of the observed countries, the provision of postal and delivery services is subject to a standard notification process, except for services within the scope of the USO where a licence may be required.

In some countries, the recent debate around alternative delivery operators has focused on labour and working conditions but not on their potential status as PSPs, e.g. in Finland, France and Sweden.

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Scope
Region: Europe
Countries covered: 22
Policy area: Postal, Delivery
Last updated: May 2026