Number of enterprises providing postal services

This indicator includes the total number of enterprises providing postal services. The count refers to the population concerned in the business register or NRA's register. This statistic includes all enterprises active during at least a part of the reference period.Enterprises providing the universal service under direct or indirect designation: refers to designated postal operator(s) that are under any form of legal obligation providing a universal service or parts thereof within a Member State, and irrespective of the legal instrument required to do so (e.g. authorization; public procurement; direct designation by law or legislative act or indirect designation by virtue of the obligation to inform in advance the competent national authority of the intention not to provide universal services for certain parts of the territory or parts of the universal service).Enterprises providing universal services or services interchangeable with the USO: provides the number of postal operators that are providing universal postal services or services interchangeable with USO. Interchangeable services are those services, that from a users perspective, can be regarded as services that display inter-changeability to a sufficient degree with the universal service, taking into account the characteristics of the services, including added value features, as well as the intended use and the pricing. These services do not necessarily have to cover all features, such as daily delivery or complete national coverage.Enterprises providing other postal services: providesthe number of all operators that provide postal services that neither fall under the provision of universal service obligation nor are considered as services interchangeable with the USO.