This note is to gives an update on the EU initiatives relating to public procurement and concessions
(English & French)

(26 October 2011) On 10 October the Network made up of trade unions and social and environmental NGOs organised a workshop to take stock of the upcoming revision Sara Piller, European Commission (EC) gave an overview of the background to the revision of the public procurement Directives. She confirmed the EC intention to present proposals in December 2011. The EC has two main aims for the revision: simplification and strengthening possibilities for public authorities to pursue ‘horizontal’ (...)

(17 October 2011) ETUC and EPSU met Commissioner Barnier on 29 September to exchange views on upcoming policy iniatives on public procurement and concessions. Discusions clarified a number of trade unions concerns over the impact of competitive tendering, the promotion of PPPs and the lack of a ‘quality public services’ perspective in current EU policy-making. A follow-up letter (attached below) from the meeting gives more details on these.
Letter from Bernadette SEGOL, ETUC General (...)

EPSU response to consultation on an initiative on access of third countries to the EU’s public procurement market

Joint press release on the occasion of the European Commission’s Conference “Modernising public procurement” 30 June 2011
KEY DEMANDS AND MESSAGES FROM THE NETWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
(30 June 2011) The Network for Sustainable Development in Public Procurement (EPSU, GMB, UNISON, EMF, EFFAT, EFBWW, SOLIDAR, EFTA, Fairtrade International, WFTO-Europe, FERN, EMCEF, Ver.di, TUC, ENSIE, UNI Europa, Setem, and NETWORKWEAR) on the occasion of the European Commission’s (...)

(20 april 2011) EPSU’s response focuses on public services and sustainable procurement. On public services EPSU stresses that new EU rules should not put pressure on public authorities to use public procurement to provide public services. The EU must remain neutral as regards the financing, organisation and delivery of public services and not ‘promote’ public procurement. There are good reasons why public authorities may chose to provide public services ‘in-house’ and not put them out to (...)

(Brussels, 31 March 2011) Please find below the notes and presentations from a legal seminar held on 3 March at the EP “Pursuing Sustainable Development through Public Procurement”. This meeting was organised by the informal procurement network that EPSU is member of and with the support of Heide Ruhle MEP. The seminar helped to clarify a number of questions and the notes and ppts will give a good overview of the background and current discussions on public procurement.
Notes (...)

(2 February 2011) Commissioner Barnier has given his first response to the joint contribution submitted to the Commission on the upcoming evaluation and possible revision of the public procurement directives. The Commissioner affirms that wider and social and sustainability objectives will be given full consideration in the evaluation and subsequent policy initiatives.
Please see the attached letter by Commissioner Barnier. The Commission has also now launched a consultation on the (...)

PRESS RELEASE
Brussels – 28 January 2011 – The European Commission has launched today the long-awaited “Buying social: a guide to take account of social considerations in public procurement”. A network of trade unions, social and sustainable development organisations considers this guide fails to reflect the true potential of public procurement as an instrument in support of social and sustainable development objectives. Much more is needed if the EU and Member States are to live up to the EU (...)

(23 November 2010) The European Federation of Public Service Union (EPSU) together with several other trade unions and civil society organisations (GMB, UNISON, EMF, EFFAT, EFBWW, Solidar, FLO, The Fair Trade Advocacy Office, EFTA, WFTO, FERN and Client Earth) sent a letter to Commissioner Barnier with its initial contribution to the evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of EU procurement legislation and policy. Read the letter below.
The initial input focuses on concerns that the (...)