The Postal Ordinance, approved by Decree of 19 May 1960, created the Order of the Postal Merit, in order to reward "eminent services provided to the Mail". Together with it, the Circular of 29 August 1951 and the Instruction of the Director-General of Post and Telecommunications of 12 January 1982 created the Medals for Filatelic Merit and Merit to Radiohobby, regulating Decree 1581/1974 of 31 December 1974. May, the Order of Merit of Telecommunication.

These rules were repealed by Royal Decree 863/1997 of June 6, which updated and recast the rules governing the Order of the Postal Merit, the Order of Merit of Telecommunications, the Medal of Merit Philatelic and the Medal of Merit of Radiohobby. This Royal Decree was subsequently developed by Order of 23 June 1997.

The restructuring of the ministerial departments carried out by Royal Decree 557/2000, of 27 April, created the Ministry of Science and Technology as the Department responsible for scientific and technological policy, the telecommunications and the impulse of the information society, all of which are attributed to the suppressed General Secretariat of Communications, dependent of the Ministry of Public Works before the promulgation of the aforementioned Royal Decree.

Likewise, the Royal Decrees 690/2000 of 12 May, and 1475/2000 of 4 August, defined the new structure of the Ministry of Public Works, attributing to its Secretariat the competences that, in postal matters, correspond to the The defunct General Secretariat of Communications. Subsequently, the Royal Decree 444/2001 of 27 April 2000, amending Regulation No 1475/2000, created the Subdirectorate-General for the Regulation of Postal Services, to which it entrusts the exercise of the functions which, in postal matters, are attributed to the Deputy Secretary for Development. Finally, Article 58 of Law 14/2000, of December 29, determined the transformation of the business public entity Correos y Telegrafos into a state company of a commercial character, producing its constitution last June 2001.

As a result, it is appropriate, on the one hand, to regulate separately the legal arrangements for decorations in the postal sector and for decorations in the field of telecommunications and, on the other, to update the the postal sector, given the legal and factual changes in this sector.

Therefore, this Royal Decree aims to regulate the legal regime of the decorations in the postal sector and to adapt their content to the organizational structure of the Ministry of Public Works with the aforementioned scope.

In its virtue, with the favourable report of the Postal Advisory Council, on the proposal of the Minister of Development and after deliberation of the Council of Ministers at its meeting on 20 September 2002,

D I S P O N G O:

Article 1. Of the decorations.

1. The decorations that, in the postal field, can be awarded are the Civil Order of the Postal Merit and the Medal of the Philatelic Merit.

2. The Civil Order of the Postal Merit is the maximum Spanish civil decoration awarded as honor, distinction and public recognition to reward relevant or exceptional merits, conduct, activities or services in the postal area.

3. The Medal of the Philatelic Merit will reward the work of fostering, defending and disseminating the philately, as well as the collaboration provided to the agencies of the Administration for these same purposes.

Article 2. Of the categories.

1. The decoration corresponding to the Civil Order of the Postal Merit may be awarded in the following categories:

a) Great Plate.

b) Plate.

c) Gold Medal.

d) Silver Medal.

2. The Philatelic Medal of Merit will consist of three categories: Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Article 3. From the description of the badges.

The description of the corresponding badges will be made by Order of the Minister of Public Works.

Article 4. Of the grant.

The decorations referred to in the foregoing articles may be granted to natural, legal persons or, exceptionally, to collectives without legal personality, national or foreign, to whom it is recognized honour and distinction.

Article 5. From the Council of the Civil Order of the Postal Merit and the Medal to the Philatelic Merit.

1. The Council of the Civil Order of the Postal Merit and the Medal of Merit Philatelic will hold the representation of the Order and Medal and will inform the dossiers of proposal of concession and deprivation of decorations.

2. The Council shall be composed of the following members:

a) Grand Chancellor, the Minister of Development.

b) Chancellor, the Assistant Secretary for Development.

c) Vice Chancellor Grand Plate of the Civil Order of the Postal Merit.

d) Vocal Plate of the Civil Order of the Postal Merit.

e) Vocal Medal of the Civil Order of the Postal Merit.

f) Vocal Medal for Filatelic Merit.

g) Secretary.

3. The members referred to in paragraphs (c), (d), (e) and (f) of the previous paragraph shall be appointed by the Minister for Public Works, on the proposal of the Undersecretary of the Department. The Secretary of the Council shall be the Deputy Director-General for the Regulation of Postal Services.

Article 6. From the Foreign Ministry.

The Order's Chancellery, which corresponds to the Subsecretariat of Public Works, is entrusted with the processing of all the proposals for the award of decorations of the aforementioned Order and Medal, to which the appropriate effect will instruct procedures, with the authority to be interested in all kinds of courts, authorities, official centers and entities, the reports it deems appropriate, in order to determine the origin or not of the grant. The exercise of those duties shall be carried out by the Deputy Director-General for the Regulation of Postal Services as the Secretary of the Council.

Article 7. Of the concession procedure.

1. In the concession procedure, the Foreign Ministry shall report on the type and category of the decoration concerned, assessing the importance of the merits contracted, the professional category and seniority of the person proposed, the age and the decorations which, if necessary, possess and raise a proposal for a resolution to the Council, proceeding with the issue of the titles of the awards granted.

2. The award of the decorations shall be carried out as follows:

a) The Great Plates, through Royal Decree agreed upon in the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Minister of Public Works.

b) The Placas, by Order of the Minister of Public Works, on the proposal of the Assistant Secretary for Development.

c) The Medals, through the Resolution of the Assistant Secretary for Development.

3. The entry into the Civil Order of the Postal Merit and the award of the Medal of Merit Filatelic will be held on October 9 of each year, the date of the World Mail Day.

Exceptionally, for reasons of opportunity or urgency appreciated by the Council, the entry into the Order and the award of the Medal may be carried out on a date other than that indicated in the preceding paragraph.

Article 8. Of the annual number of concessions.

Annually, two Grand Plates and four Placas shall be granted, at most and except for exceptional circumstances, without the entry of any of them which are granted to foreign personalities or posthumously. The award of Medals has no limitation of number.

Article 9. Of the treatment.

1. The distinguished with a Great Plate, Plate or Medal of the Order will have the right to be and to be called members of the Civil Order of the Postal Merit and to receive the corresponding treatment, which, in the case of the Great Plates, will be of excellence, and in that of the Placas, of illustrious.

2. The reward with any of the decorations regulated in this Royal Decree will grant the right to exhibit the corresponding badges, to be recognized in all kinds of activities and postal institutions and to make it included in their writings and documents.

Article 10. From the Register of Decorations in Postal Matters.

1. The Register of Decorations in Postal Matters is created in the Subdirectorate General of the Regulation of Postal Services. This register shall be of a public nature and shall be regulated by the Order of the Minister for Public Works.

2. The information relating to the granting or deprivation of the decorations and the persons who have been distinguished with them shall be entered in the Register.

Article 11. Of the validity.

The decorations granted under the previous regulations will remain in force and may continue to be used by the persons or entities to whom they were granted.

Single additional disposition. Registration of the decorations previously granted.

All data relating to the decorations granted prior to the entry into force of this Royal Decree must appear in the Register of Decorations in Postal Matters. To this end, all existing documentation and effects relating to the Order and Medal which are regulated in this Regulation, such as books, agreements for the granting of decorations, written or miscellaneous communications, models of insignia or Diplomas available and any other antecedents must be delivered by the units that keep them in charge of the Registry of Decorations in Postal Matters.

Single repeal provision. Regulatory repeal.

All provisions of the same or lower rank that are contrary to the provisions of this Royal Decree and, specifically, the Royal Decree 863/1997 of 6 June, for which the rules are updated and recast, are repealed. regulate the Order of the Postal Merit, the Order of the Merit of Telecommunications, the Medal of the Philatelic Merit and the Medal of Merit of Radiohobby, regarding the regulation concerning the Civil Order of the Postal Merit and the Medal of Merit Philatelic.

Final disposition first. Faculty of development.

The Minister of Public Works is authorized to dictate, in the field of his competences, the rules for the development and application of this Royal Decree.

Final disposition second. Entry into force.

This Royal Decree shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the "Official Gazette of the State".

Given in Madrid on 20 September 2002.

JOHN CARLOS R.

The Minister of Development,

FRANCISCO ALVEZ-HELMETS FERNANDEZ