The Gazette 1993

GAZETTE

APRIL . 1993

addition, DXs simply cannot compete in the PTTs key market sectors such as mail order, direct mail advertising and mailings of magazines and newspapers. Understandably, PTTs fear certain private operators will enter the market, cream off the profit-making routes and leave the loss-makers for the PTTs, thus threatening the viability of the universal service. The AEDE is keen to point out that DXs serve an extremely heterogenous type of business subscriber from the large banks and financial institutions in London and Brussels to the sole legal practitioner in Galway. The DXs are committed to operating a full overnight service to all members on all routes regardless of profitability. Interestingly, the AEDE believes that the DXs can actually assist in the running of the universal mail service. With their 99.5% rate of delivery overnight for acutely time-sensitive mail such as legal documents, DXs actually remove the onus from the PTTs, who frequently find providing such services unprofitable and fraught with hassle.

exchanges to transfer mail between each other as an added flexibility for customers. But there is a proviso which would, if adopted, give EC Member States the right to refuse DXs the freedom to interlink if they are 'convinced' that the presence of DXs would 'harm' their ability to provide a universal service. The AEDE is seriously concerned that this broadly worded proviso may be open to a range of entirely subjective interpretations. How is one to gauge the extent to which DXs could 'harm' the ability of PTTs to provide a universal service? A PTT might feel DXs per se are harmful because they deprive PTTs of revenue no matter how small the proportion. One thing is for sure. If DXs cannot interlink, members will not use them and DXs will close. This would be a great loss since the AEDE believes DXs are relatively harmless to PTTs and even beneficial. With their minuscule market, the DXs scarcely pose a threat. Moreover, as DXs are limited in the type of subscribers they can serve, their potential for growth in those markets is strictly limited. In

But perhaps the most compelling argument for allowing the DXs to continue is the fact that for the last 15 years in Ireland and for the last 17 years in the UK, the DXs and PTTs have operated side by side without any problem whatsoever. It would be tragic - and costly for DXs and their members - if the DXs were not allowed to function in As debate over the Green Paper continues, the AEDE is taking every opportunity to present its case and sincerely hopes that the Commission will remove the proviso and guarantee DXs the unconditional right to operate and interlink with each other nationally and internationally in any forthcoming legislation. DXs are, of course, accustomed to 99.5% success overnight. This particular battle will take rather more than a night, but the AEDE looks forward to achieving a similar success rate! • * Paul Puxon is chairman of the Association of European Document Exchanges. the future as they have so successfully in the past.

The Younger Members Committee in association with Dublin Solicitors Bar Association A NN U AL Q U I Z N I GHT 31 October, 1992 Royal Marine Hotel, Dunlaoghaire, Co. Dublin. SPONSORED BY THE IRISH PERMANENT BUILDING SOCIETY all proceeds to SOLICITORS BENEVOLENT FUND Fee £25.00 per team (five people per team) Entry forms may be collected from the Law Society's premises at Solicitors Buildings, Four Courts, or by contacting Joan Doran, Secretary YMC, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7. Numbers are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

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