In order to ensure the cross-border provision of the universal service, Member States shall encourage their universal service providers to arrange that in their agreements on terminal dues for intra-Community cross-border mail, the following principles are respected:

• terminal dues shall be fixed in relation to the costs of processing and delivering incoming cross-border mail,

• levels of remuneration shall be related to the quality of service achieved,

• terminal dues shall be transparent and non-discriminatory.

The implementation of these principles may include transitional arrangements designed to avoid undue disruption on postal markets or unfavourable implications for economic operators provided there is agreement between the operators of origin and receipt; such arrangements shall, however, be restricted to the minimum required to achieve these objectives.