Envelope still the safest medium, preferred by a majority of European citizens

EUROPEAN ENVELOPE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION

PRESS RELEASE

Envelope still the safest medium, preferred by a majority of European citizens

FEPE Congress, 15‐17 September 2016, Berlin

Brussels, 19 September 2016. Resistance is building up across Europe against forcing citizens into

digital communication. This was the central theme at the 59th Congress of the European Federation of

Envelope Manufacturers (FEPE), held in Berlin from 15-17 September 2016.

The digital agenda may be spreading ever more rapidly across Europe but campaigns are now cropping

up fighting for the citizen’s right to choose how they are contacted –by paper or digitally. FEPE was

instrumental in supporting the campaign set-up across Europe and the discussion at the congress

revealed the necessity as well as the potential to push the consumer’s right to choose.

81% of UK adults want to choose how they receive their information

“Keep me Posted UK” was the pioneer campaign fighting for the consumer’s right to choose, without

disadvantage, how they are contacted by financial, utility and other service providers. David Gold from

Royal Mail reported that more than 57 million British consumers have been secured the right to

choose how they are contacted thanks to their approach of granting a “mark of distinction” to UK

companies that respect their customer’s choice without charging extra for paper.

60% of Spanish consumers say they want paper invoices as a standard invoicing medium

In Spain and Austria the campaigns work to ensure businesses follow existing consumer rights law and

to inform and support consumers to exercise their rights. "Thanks to our efforts, service providers are

now obliged to issue paper invoices by default" said Emilio Oviedio from the Spanish initiative.

“Austrian legislation is relatively consumer-friendly”, explained Adam Christian from Austrian Post.

“Postal invoices are often protected by law but we have to fight every day to keep it that way”.

630,000 Belgian households have been forced into a communication channel

In Belgium, where 80% of consumers prefer to receive their administrative information on paper, the

campaign called “My invoice my choice” seeks to enforce, extend and clarify the legal basis for the

right for citizens to choose their preferred means of communication.

20% of EU households have no internet access

“With citizens being increasingly forced into electronic communication, we need to ensure that the

citizen’s right to choose is included in European legislation, be it about postal communication,

contracts on online sales or consumer directives” said Cynthia Wee from PostEurop, representing the

EU campaign at the congress round table discussion.

Further topics addressed included the European and Global envelope market as well as paper and

postal markets, the new data protection rules and the important role of Direct Mail as a communications

channel. The successful Congress was attended by 96 delegates from 20 different countries,

representing envelope manufacturers and their suppliers.