The European Commission wants to open the continent's market to competition for postal services in 2009, the Financial Times reported Friday.
Specific proposals are expected next month, but so is opposition from labor unions and some member countries, particularly France.
The European Union postal services sector is estimated to be worth more than EUR 90 billion a year and employs some 5 million people.
Britain, Sweden and Finland already have introduced open competition in all postal markets. Besides France, opposition is expected from government officials in Italy, Spain, Belgium and Greece.