1. Member States shall ensure that users enjoy the right to a universal service involving the permanent provision of a postal service of specified quality at all points in their territory at affordable prices for all users.
2. To this end, Member States shall take steps to ensure that the density of the points of contact and of the access points takes account of the needs of users.
3. They shall take steps to ensure that the universal service provider(s) guarantee(s) every working day and not less than five days a week, save in circumstances or geographical conditions deemed exceptional by the national regulatory authorities, as a miminum:
- one clearance,
- one delivery to the home or premises of every natural or legal person or, by way of derogation, under conditions at the discretion of the national regulatory authority, one delivery to appropriate installations.
Any exception or derogation granted by a national regulatory authority in accordance with this paragraph must be communicated to the Commission and to all national regulatory authorities.
4. Each Member State shall adopt the measures necessary to ensure that the universal service includes the following minimum facilities:
- the clearance, sorting, transport and distribution of postal items up to two kilograms,
- the clearance, sorting, transport and distribution of postal packages up to 10 kilograms,
- services for registered items and insured items.
5. The national regulatory authorities may increase the weight limit of universal service coverage for postal packages to any weight not exceeding 20 kilograms and may lay down special arrangements for the door-to-door delivery of such packages.
Notwithstanding the weight limit of universal service coverage for postal packages established by a given Member State, Member States shall ensure that postal packages received from other Member States and weighing up to 20 kilograms are delivered within their territories.
6. The minimum and maximum dimensions for the postal items in question shall be those laid down in the Convention and the Agreement concerning Postal Parcels adopted by the Universal Postal Union.
7. The universal service as defined in this Article shall cover both national and cross-border services.