Belgium's national post operator Bpost has come to an agreement with French-speaking publishers over the delivery of newspapers.
The agreement brings a degree of certainty to the future of delivery services, after a phasing out of the state concession for newspaper and magazine distribution led to a series of strike actions by Bpost workers earlier this year.
Bpost confirmed on Wednesday that an agreement has been reached on newspaper deliveries in Wallonia from 1 July, when the state concession is set to end.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bpost will continue to distribute all newspapers throughout Wallonia until the end of 2025. From 2026 onwards, publishers may eventually and gradually transfer the distribution of their newspapers to a third party.
However, a meeting is also scheduled between Bpost and publishers in mid 2025, to see if the transfer of newspaper distribution will go ahead, or if Bpost will continue to facilitate deliveries for a longer period.
In the third quarter of 2025, an alternative method of distributing papers will be tested through four distribution offices, at the request of publishers.
The agreement with French-speaking publishers follows an agreement reached with publishers in Flanders in April. In Flanders, the delivery of newspapers will be gradually transferred to Bpost group subsidiary AMP, which will continue to deliver around 75% of newspapers currently delivered by Bpost.
The transition in Flanders will begin in September and October of this year at ten pilot offices, and will be rolled out across the region in 2025 and 2026.
The Federal Government decided at the end of last year to phase out the state press concession scheme, which subsidises a government-designated distributor to circulate newspapers and magazines to regions where publishers don't have an alternative option.
Bpost has historically been the scheme distributor. When the phase-out of the concession scheme was announced, Bpost workers went on strike over concerns about deterioration of the delivery service, and its implications for working conditions of staff.
In a press release on Wednesday, Bpost said that the agreement for Wallonia will "safeguard the jobs of its employees on fixed contracts."
Bpost also said that now it has insight into newspaper distribution in Wallonia and Flanders for the immediate future, it can quantify the financial impacts for its business and will publish its financial guidance for 2024 in the "near future".
Regarding the distribution of other periodicals (regular publications such as magazines), Bpost is still in the process of contracting with its clients.
