bpost has announced the launch of a new commercial offering for Flemish newspaper and magazine deliveries from July 1, 2024, following the decision by the Belgian government in December last year to end the concession for periodicals deliveries.
Thanks to this agreement bpost can safeguard the jobs of its employees on open ended contracts in Flanders, with publishers being gradually transitioned to a different distribution model from 2025.
Discussions with French-speaking publishers continue but the aim is to retain the largest possible newspaper volume, avoid social consequences and safeguard the jobs of employees on open ended contracts.
New service offer for magazine deliveries
To meet the diverse requirements of the various organizations issuing periodicals (including commercial companies and NGOs), bpost has developed a new delivery service offer that is in line with the universal postal service obligations and that takes into account customer needs. The goal of the new service offer is to safeguard the continuity of the business, with due consideration for the specifics of the Belgian media landscape.
Chris Peeters, CEO of bpostgroup, commented, “Our goal was to find the right balance between safeguarding the continuity and high quality of the service on the one hand, and meeting the price expectations of publishers on the other. This agreement provides a clear solution for the editors and colleagues in Flanders. Discussions continue with French-speaking publishers to also reach an agreement with them.”