Public procurement

The European Parliament today adopted a report on modernisining public procurement, setting out proposals for revising EU rules on public contracts, drafted by Green MEP Heide Rühle. After the vote, Heide Rühle said:

"Public procurement procedures should ensure no unnecessary costs are borne, all the more so at a time when public finances are under pressure. This report calls for more coherent public procurement rules, which would help resolve some of the current legal problems with tendering, which mean that selected tenders are often the cheapest, without being the most economically logical. To this end, lifecycle costs should also be taken into account.

"Simpler and more flexible tendering procedures would ensure that small- and medium-sized businesses can also compete. Making the process electronic can help in this regard, reducing costs and ensuring greater transparency. The EU needs to give more assistance to this end and help ensure compatibility of systems within Europe.

"Revising public procurement rules must also ensure greater legal certainty. In many EU member states, legal disputes concerning tendering processes have led to increased costs. In addition to adding to costs, legal uncertainty also hinders innovative solutions. EU regulation should have the contrary aim."