Request for a preliminary ruling from the Juzgado de lo Mercantil de Madrid (Spain) lodged on 11 April 2018 — Sociedad Estatal Correos y Telégrafos, S.A. v Asendia Spain, S.L.U.

(Case C-259/18)

Language of the case: Spanish

Referring court

Juzgado de lo Mercantil de Madrid

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Sociedad Estatal Correos y Telégrafos, S.A.

Defendant: Asendia Spain, S.L.U.

Questions referred

Is national legislation under which the guarantee given to the postal operator designated for the provision of a universal postal service entails it being the only entity authorised to distribute means of postage other than stamps contrary to Article 7(1) and Article 8 of Directive 97/67/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 1997 on common rules for the development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service ¹ (the Postal Directive), as amended by Directive 2008/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 2008? ²

If the answer to the previous question is in the affirmative, is it compatible with the EU postal rules that private postal operators are required to have bricks-and-mortar premises open to the public in order to be able to distribute and market means of postage other than stamps?

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¹ OJ 1998 L 15, p. 14.

² Directive 2008/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 2008 amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to the full accomplishment of the internal market of Community postal services (OJ 2008 L 52, p. 3).