The Postal Services Commission (PostCom) was established by the new Postal Services Act on 1 October 2012. It is an independent regulatory authority it makes decisions and issues orders according to its mandate under the Postal Services Act and its implementing provisions.

PostCom’s main tasks are:

• to register postal services providers
• to monitor compliance with industry-standard employment conditions and whether negotiations on a collective employment agreement are held
• to resolve disputes regarding access to PO boxes and the sharing of addresses
• to monitor compliance with the duty to provide information
• to monitor compliance with the legal mandate to provide a basic universal postal service
• to make recommendations in the case of planned closures and relocation of post offices and agencies
• to monitor the quality of basic universal postal services
• to monitor compliance with the ban on cross-subsidisation
• to run a conciliation agency (ombudsman service)
• to deal with violations of regulations
• to follow developments in the postal services market in order to ensure a varied, reasonably priced and high-quality service in all parts of the country
• to propose suitable measures to the Federal Council regarding the provision of a basic universal postal service.

PostCom informs the public about its activities and submits an activities report annually to the Federal Council.