Switzerland is not a special case
Press Subsidies: With the elimination of international surcharges, the postal service is losing revenue. However, publishers need not fear rate increases.
Press subsidies With the discontinuation of the
foreign surcharges, the Post Office is losing revenue. Increases in postal rates
publishers need not fear, however. In the last instance before the
The Appeals Commission for Infrastructure and the Environment has
dispute with the postal service. Specifically, it was about a
Tax surcharge of 30 centimes per copy for delivery of the
program guide TV täglich, which on the one hand offers various
newspapers, but also as an individually subscribed
copies are distributed independently. TV daily, a joint
venture of Tamedia and Ringier, has since been launched in Germany.
as Tamedia spokeswoman Eta Pavlovic confirms. Due to
the import of the circulation from Germany the post office charged the
publishing house the additional amount of more than 156,000 Swiss francs, which
Tamedia in the sense of equal treatment with other Swiss publishers,
did not want to pay. With the verdict, the approximately 30 publishers who
print abroad, all other Swiss publishers at the
delivery of their print products. The yellow giant will
change its practice retroactively to October 1.
The ruling is significant against the backdrop of indirect press subsidies in
of Switzerland. The Appeals Commission recognized the so
called print surcharge, a part of Swiss Post's tariff concept, as a
Violation of Article 15 of the Postal Act as well as the
Free trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU.
The surcharge quickly pays for itself in large runs with considerable
sums are noticeable. Following the ruling, Deutsche Post will miss out on considerable
revenues. However, Swiss publishers do not need to
Fear increase in postal rates. "For Swiss Post, the ruling has indeed
financial impact, but it will not therefore raise its prices
increase," explains Swiss Post spokesman Laurent Widmer at the request of the
Advertising Week.
What is striking is the coincidence in time between the procedure and
an announcement by the EU Commission in Brussels in mid-October, it
The indirect press subsidies in Switzerland are
possibly illegal state subsidies, which could have reduced competition.
with foreign newspapers. However, the objection relates
only to the aforementioned postal surcharge, because press subsidies are also available in
EU countries is commonplace. "I am convinced that the legitimacy of the
of Article 15 of the Postal Act is not called into question and the
Press promotion is compatible with international law," commentary
by Hanspeter Kellermüller, Legal Counsel of the Association of Swiss
Press.
But what next? On December 15, the concerns from Brussels stand on
the list of topics of the Comité Mixte Switzerland-EU on the free trade agreement.
But the problem is likely to be resolved domestically, as the indirect
Press subsidies, which are shared equally by the federal government, publishers and Swiss Post.
is being carried, will expire as early as 2007. How the press is promoted from 2008
is to be open.
foreign surcharges, the Post Office is losing revenue. Increases in postal rates
publishers need not fear, however. In the last instance before the
The Appeals Commission for Infrastructure and the Environment has
dispute with the postal service. Specifically, it was about a
Tax surcharge of 30 centimes per copy for delivery of the
program guide TV täglich, which on the one hand offers various
newspapers, but also as an individually subscribed
copies are distributed independently. TV daily, a joint
venture of Tamedia and Ringier, has since been launched in Germany.
as Tamedia spokeswoman Eta Pavlovic confirms. Due to
the import of the circulation from Germany the post office charged the
publishing house the additional amount of more than 156,000 Swiss francs, which
Tamedia in the sense of equal treatment with other Swiss publishers,
did not want to pay. With the verdict, the approximately 30 publishers who
print abroad, all other Swiss publishers at the
delivery of their print products. The yellow giant will
change its practice retroactively to October 1.
The ruling is significant against the backdrop of indirect press subsidies in
of Switzerland. The Appeals Commission recognized the so
called print surcharge, a part of Swiss Post's tariff concept, as a
Violation of Article 15 of the Postal Act as well as the
Free trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU.
The surcharge quickly pays for itself in large runs with considerable
sums are noticeable. Following the ruling, Deutsche Post will miss out on considerable
revenues. However, Swiss publishers do not need to
Fear increase in postal rates. "For Swiss Post, the ruling has indeed
financial impact, but it will not therefore raise its prices
increase," explains Swiss Post spokesman Laurent Widmer at the request of the
Advertising Week.
What is striking is the coincidence in time between the procedure and
an announcement by the EU Commission in Brussels in mid-October, it
The indirect press subsidies in Switzerland are
possibly illegal state subsidies, which could have reduced competition.
with foreign newspapers. However, the objection relates
only to the aforementioned postal surcharge, because press subsidies are also available in
EU countries is commonplace. "I am convinced that the legitimacy of the
of Article 15 of the Postal Act is not called into question and the
Press promotion is compatible with international law," commentary
by Hanspeter Kellermüller, Legal Counsel of the Association of Swiss
Press.
But what next? On December 15, the concerns from Brussels stand on
the list of topics of the Comité Mixte Switzerland-EU on the free trade agreement.
But the problem is likely to be resolved domestically, as the indirect
Press subsidies, which are shared equally by the federal government, publishers and Swiss Post.
is being carried, will expire as early as 2007. How the press is promoted from 2008
is to be open.
René Worni
