PostNL has been fined nearly €7 million for failing to deliver mail on time in 2023. The Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) stated that the postal company did not meet the legal quality standards for timely delivery.
According to the regulator, PostNL delivered 89.48 per cent of mailbox mail on time during the year. This was below the statutory requirement of at least 95 per cent. Mail is considered on time if it is delivered on the next delivery day. “So if I send a card to you today, it should arrive tomorrow,” an ACM spokesperson said.
PostNL reacted angrily to the decision on Tuesday and announced it would appeal. The company argued in discussions with the ACM that it faced force majeure. It pointed, among other factors, to a tight labour market that made it difficult to recruit enough staff.
The ACM rejected that argument. According to the regulator, PostNL could have taken stronger action to address staff shortages. This could have included offering sufficiently attractive conditions to recruit and retain employees.
New staff
The competition watchdog, which also supervises the Universal Postal Service in the Netherlands, acknowledged that PostNL took steps to hire new staff. However, it described the measures as insufficient. “The choices PostNL made in this regard are its own responsibility,” the ACM said in a press release.
The ACM added that it is not unusual for a fine relating to 2023 to be issued only now. PostNL submitted its report in May 2024, and the investigation report was completed in August 2025. The standard procedures were then followed before the sanction decision was finalised.
Coronavirus pandemic
PostNL was also fined €2 million in 2022 after failing to deliver enough mail on time in 2019. For 2020, the ACM accepted that delays were caused by force majeure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company may still face fines for late delivery in 2021 and 2022, but the ACM said it could not comment on ongoing cases.
PostNL described the latest penalty as “ineffective and disproportionate”. The company said the decision further threatens the continuity of postal services. It has repeatedly been argued that current delivery obligations are “unfeasible”. Some relief is expected from July, when PostNL will be allowed to switch to standard mail delivery within two days.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
