International Mail Contract

Federal Register, Volume 77 Issue 238 (Tuesday, December 11, 2012)

Federal Register Volume 77, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 11, 2012)

Notices

Pages 73699-73700

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2012-29779

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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

Docket No. CP2013-24; Order No. 1566

International Mail Contract

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing concerning an additional inbound competitive Multi-Service Agreements with Foreign Postal Operators 1 negotiated service agreement with Royal PostNL BV. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: December 14, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing Online system at http://www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit comments electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section by telephone for advice on filing alternatives.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel, at 202-789-6820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Contents of Filing

3. Commission Action

4. Ordering Paragraphs

1. Introduction

   On December 4, 2012, the Postal Service filed a notice, pursuant to 39 CFR 3015.5, stating that it has entered into an additional negotiated service agreement (Agreement) with the Netherlands' foreign postal operator Royal PostNL BV (PostNL).\1\ The Postal Service seeks to have the inbound portion of the Agreement, which concerns delivery of inbound Air CP \2\ and EMS in the United States, included within the Inbound Competitive Multi-Service Agreements with Foreign Postal Operators 1 (MC2010-34) product on the competitive product list. Notice at 1.

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   \1\ Notice of United States Postal Service of Filing Functionally Equivalent Inbound Competitive Multi-Service Agreement with a Foreign Postal Operator, December 4, 2012 (Notice).

   \2\ ``CP'' is an abbreviation used to identify or reference international parcel post (from the French phrase colis postaux, ``postal package'').

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2. Contents of Filing

   The Postal Service's filing consists of the Notice, a public Excel file containing redacted financial workpapers, and four attachments. Attachment 1 is a redacted copy of the Agreement. Id. at 3. Attachment 2 is the certified statement required by 39 CFR 3015.5(c)(2). Id. Attachment 3 is a redacted copy of the Governors' Decision No. 10-3. Id. Attachment 4 is an application for non-public treatment of unredacted material. Id. The Agreement's intended effective date is January 1, 2013. Id. at 4.

   The rates for inbound Air CP and EMS included in the Agreement are to remain in effect for 2 years after the Agreement's effective date, unless terminated sooner. Id. The Postal Service further notes that a TNT Agreement, in accordance with Article 22 of the TNT Agreement, automatically renewed on October 1, 2012, but pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article 22 of the PostNL Agreement, the TNT Agreement is to expire the day prior to the effective date of the PostNL Agreement, if an effective date for the PostNL agreement is established. Id. at 3 n.5.

   The Postal Service reviews the regulatory history of the Inbound Competitive Multi-Service Agreements with Foreign Operators 1 product and identifies the TNT Agreement (approved in Docket No. CP2010-95) as the baseline agreement for purposes of determining the functional equivalence of the instant Agreement.\3\ Id. at 2. It asserts that the instant Agreement fits within applicable Mail Classification Schedule language and addresses functional equivalency with the baseline agreement, including similarity of cost characteristics. Id. at 3-7. The Postal Service also identifies differences between the two contracts, such as the addition of several articles, revisions to existing articles, and new annexes, but asserts that these differences do not detract from a finding of functional equivalency. Id. at 5-7.

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   \3\ The Postal Service identifies Governors' Decision No. 10-3 as the enabling Governors' Decision. Id. at 5. The status of the TNT Agreement as the baseline agreement was confirmed in Docket No. CP2011-69, Order No. 840, Order Concerning an Additional Inbound Competitive Multi-Service Agreements with Foreign Postal Operators 1 Negotiated Service Agreement, September 7, 2011. See id. at 2.

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3. Commission Action

   Notice of establishment of docket. The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2013-24 for consideration of matters

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   raised by the Notice. The Commission appoints James F. Callow to serve as Public Representative in this docket. Interested persons may submit comments on whether the Postal Service's filing in the captioned docket is consistent with the policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632 and 3633 and the requirements of 39 CFR part 3015. Comments are due no later than December 14, 2012. The public portions of this filing can be accessed via the Commission's Web site (http://www.prc.gov). Information on obtaining access to sealed material appears in 39 CFR part 3007.

4. Ordering Paragraphs

   It is ordered:

   1. The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2013-24 for consideration of matters raised by the Postal Service's Notice.

   2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, James F. Callow is appointed to serve as an officer of the Commission (Public Representative) to represent the interests of the general public in this proceeding.

   3. Comments are due no later than December 14, 2012.

   4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the Federal Register.

   By the Commission.

   Shoshana M. Grove,

   Secretary.

   FR Doc. 2012-29779 Filed 12-10-12; 8:45 am

   BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P