Press Release: Mary Coughlan Minister for Social and Family Affairs confirms she will contest European Commission action on post offices

On 17 July 2003, the European Commission announced that it had decided to refer Ireland to the European Court of Justice over the extension, without competition, of the contractual arrangements with An Post (the national Post Office) for the provision of social welfare payment services. The Irish Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Coughlan, confirmed on 17 July, that she would contest this action.

• Primary Source

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/03/1037&format=HTML&rapid=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/03/1037&format=HTML&rapid=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/internal_market/post/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/internal_market/post/index_en.htm

Ireland: Department of Social and Family Affairs: Press Release, 17.7.03 (pdf version) http://www.welfare.ie/en/press/pressreleases/2003/Documents/pr170703.pdf

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