Postal Framework

One of ComReg’s strategic intentions is to facilitate the development of competition and innovation in the provision of postal services. Our goal is to promote the development of the postal sector by continuing to provide information regarding the provision of postal services in Ireland.

A number of postal service providers operate in Ireland. Postal service providers must obtain authorisation from ComReg and are then subject to certain regulations by ComReg. See the Postal Authorisation page for more information or Click here to see the register of authorised postal service providers in Ireland

ComReg’s regulatory remit to regulate the postal sector comes directly from legislation, in particular from the Postal Act, which transposed the European Postal Services Directive into national law. There are three categories of postal services which are subject to regulation under the Postal Act. See the Legal Framework (Postal) page for more information.

ComReg commissions research on the postal sector in Ireland and considers it essential to explore through research where the postal sector is changing and where innovation in the postal sector has and will occur. See the Postal Research page for more information.

At an international level, ComReg participates in the European Regulators Group for Postal Services (“ERGP”). ComReg inputs into the ERGP and will continue to consider the output of ERGP to ensure that ComReg continues to apply effective and proportionate regulation. See the ERGP page for more information.

ComReg also liaises and provides assistance to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (“CCPC”). The CCPC is responsible for the enforcement of a wide range of consumer legislation, where competition law issues arise. Unlike in the electronic communications sector, ComReg does not have competition law powers in the postal sector.