Special Report pursuant to Sec. 44 of the Postal Services Act, Bonn, 4 December 2017

• The Monopolies Commission notes almost no progress, even twenty years after the entry into force of the Postal Act, in the development of competition on the letter markets.
• The Monopolies Commission deems the creation of equal competitive conditions on the postal markets and the extension of the powers of the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) as urgently necessary preconditions for effective competition.
• The Monopolies Commission recommends a reform of the national regulatory framework and an examination of the agreements of international postal organisations.

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Special Report pursuant to Sec. 121(2) of the German Telecommunications Act, Bonn, 4 December 2017

• Public funding of the broadband expansion should only be provided in areas where expansion is not taking place through private enterprise. Funding programmes should be customised and supplemented by demand-side instruments.
• Incentives for the commercial expansion of high-performance broadband networks should be enhanced by abandoning a strictly cost-oriented regulation of new fibre-optic networks.
• When frequencies are allocated for the new fifth generation (5G) mobile communications standard the mobile network operators should be obligated to offer wholesale products on non-discriminatory terms.

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Special Report pursuant to Sec. 62 of the Law on the Energy Industry, Bonn, 6 October 2017

• Monopolies Commission recommends regional network charge for renewable energy generators to limit costs of network expansion
• The EU emission trade system should be strengthened by including additional sectors to achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets
• Monopolies Commission calls for adjustments with respect to the awarding of concessions for network operation to relieve consumers

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