Upon completion of the work carried out in the first half of 2025, and of the public consultation that ran from 15 April to 13 May 2025[1], Arcep has adopted its Decision on the multiannual price cap for universal postal services that will apply from 2026 to 2029. This price cap replaces the one in effect in 2024 and 2025[2].
This Decision caps the average annual price increase for the scope of the universal postal service for 2026 to 2029 at 7.5%[3]. In addition to which, increases must not exceed the threshold of 10% during any year in this period.
Regarding the deficit for the universal service mandate account, the decrease in mail and parcel volumes (down an average 8.8%[4] per annum from 2018 to 2023) and the efforts that La Poste has been making for several years to streamline and reduce costs, the mechanism manages the universal service pricing trajectory in a way that limits the mandate’s forecast deficit as much as possible, provided La Poste controls its cost increases through improved productivity.
The multiannual price cap reflects a sharing of the burden between businesses and consumers, as household spending on postal services continues to drop.
The price supervision mechanism includes a rendez-vous clause allowing for a mid-term review if the circumstances used to set the price cap were to change significantly.
Arcep is also publishing its Opinion on the assessment of the net cost of fulfilling the universal postal service mandate for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. In light of the gap between the annual amount of the net cost and La Poste compensation, Arcep concluded with reasonable certainty that in 2021, 2022 and 2023, La Poste was not overcompensated for its fulfilment of the universal postal service mandate.
Associated documents:
- Decision No. 2025-1143 of 10 June 2025 on the properties of the multiannual price cap on universal postal services from 2026 to 2029
- Stakeholders’ contributions to the public consultation that ran from 15 April to 13 May 2025
- Opinion No. 2022-2014 of 3 November 2022 on the assessment of the net cost of fulfilling the universal postal service mandate
- Opinion No. 2025-0522 of 25 March 2025 on the assessment of the net cost of fulfilling the universal postal service mandate