EPSU

EPSU welcomes EP report "new developments in public procurement

catherine — 2010-05-20T07:23:09Z

(19 May 2010) EPSU welcomes the report adopted by the European Parliament on 18 May on “new developments in public procurement”, rapporteur Heide Rühle MEP. EPSU had suggested a number of amendments to the report, emphasizing that the legal changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty – in particular the notion of a ‘social market economy', a social clause, and a Protocol of services of general interest – provide a new framework for public procurement in which social concerns should play a more prominent role. As well as recognising this new context the report also:
Calls on the European Commission to take a more positive approach to the integration of social and fair trade criteria into public procurement contracts and to provide practical help to public authorities to this effect
An expectation that lessens will be learnt from failing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and that proper evaluation will take place on the financial risks involved with the creation of PPPs
Caution as regards a legislative initiative on service concessions
Support for inter-municipal cooperation
References to the importance of transparency, public scrutiny and good governance in public procurement; and for participation by trade unions / social partners in Commission advisory bodies on procurement

The report also calls on the Commission to asses fully the procurement directives against the issues mentioned in the report.

Links

EP report

EPSU briefing note on public procurement.

Social Procurement on EP agenda

catherine — 2010-02-09T13:46:59Z

(9 February 2010) EPSU took part in a hearing (programme) on 27 January in the European Parliament to prepare an own-initiative report on public procurement and service concessions which is expected shortly by EP rapporteur Heide Rühle (Greens/EFA, Germany). EPSU underlined the need for EU initiatives in support of social procurement, including for example, the long awaited EC Guide on Socially Responsible Public Procurement (see comments on draft Guide below).

A number of speakers in the hearing emphasized that the new Lisbon Treaty strengthens the legal framework for social procurement (and indeed social Europe) as well as local decision making.

EPSU' standing committee for local and regional government will organise a special session on public procurement on 1 March (see below), which will include an exchange with Heide Rühle on her report.

For EPSU's comments at the hearing:


EPSU background note - EN


EPSU PP background note - FR


EPSU PP background note - DE


EPSU PP background note - ES


EPSU PP background note - SV


EPSU PP background note - RU

EPSU draft agenda 1-2 March 2010


draft agenda 1-2 March

ECJ ruling supports inter-municipal cooperation

catherine — 2009-09-07T12:41:05Z

(7 September 2009) In an important judgment Commission v Germany C-480/06 of 09 June 2009 the European Court of Justice confirmed once again that the inter-municipal cooperation does not fall under the application of EU rules on public procurement.

The Court reminded its findings from Coditel Brabant case that a public authority has the right to perform the public interest tasks using its own resources and without tendering and that it may do so in cooperation with other public authorities. The decisive element of the judgment was the accomplishment of the public service mission which the contract was concluded to ensure and that formed the basis for a favourable Court decision.

For full text of the judgment

For CEEP article giving more details

UNISON website on public procurement

catherine — 2009-01-22T11:14:08Z

UNISON has a new webpage on public procurement with a range of materials and training to help unions influence the decisions made in the procurement process, and make sure members' interests are effectively represented.

For information see: http://www.unison.org.uk/activists/procurement

- Public Procurement

EPSU, UNI-Europa, EFFAT, EFBWW, ETUF-TCL Points for the consultation EC guide socially responsible public procurement

catherine — 2009-01-07T11:29:32Z

(7 January 2009)

1) ‘More and better' jobs – the framework

In the European social model – and Lisbon Agenda – value for money and social and environmental considerations go hand in hand. Even if the EC has chosen to do separate Guides, it is important to link social and environmental issues together. Public authorities should take the full range of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of public procurement into account - this is what ‘value for money' means. The EU procurement directives give plenty of space and opportunities to public authorities to do just this. All the relevant recitals and Articles in the Directive need to be shown visibly in the Guide, including the (non-exhaustive) examples below: (...)

for the full text:


points for SRPP guide

Local and Regional Government Social Dialogue Committee Working Group meeting on social procurement on 9 October 2009

ILO Committee considers labour clause in public contracts: compatible with EU procurement directives

epsuadmin — 2008-04-18T11:57:42Z

(18 April 2008) A committee of the International Labour Organisation explored the use of ILO Convention 94 on Labour Clauses in Public Contracts. It publishes a detailed survey. The findings confirm the long campaign of EPSU and members of the European parliament that this convention should be referred to and used in EU procurement directives. The survey says that the EU Directives are compatible with the Convention. The committee argues further: "In the light of the greater impact of globalization on an increasing number of member States and the related heightening of competitive pressures, the Committee further considers the objectives of the Convention to be even more valid today than they were 60 years ago and to strengthen the ILO's call for fair globalization. "

It argues also "that the purpose and object of the Convention remain intrinsically sound. In this sense, the Committee considers Convention No. 94 to be an underused instrument. At a time when the ILO core labour standards and the 1998 ILO Declaration are gaining prominence in the field of international human rights law and international trade law, Convention No. 94 offers a unique opportunity and a normative platform on which the ILO could build a comprehensive standard for the promotion of decent labour conditions in public contracts.

The Committee therefore considers that there is real potential in infusing new life into the Convention and making it the focus for socially responsible public procurement operations. The current proliferation of private voluntary initiatives and other international and regional efforts reviewed in Chapter III above confirms the urgent need for harmonization and standard setting at the international level. In view of these developments, the Committee is of the view that there is a need for the ILO to act even more promptly with a view to marking the Convention's presence and formulating coherent proposals for integrating social criteria into public contracting."

To read the detailed Survey 'Labour clauses in public contracts' open document below:


Gen Survey Final C94

'EVIDENCE' FOR USING PFI BUILT ON SAND

catherine — 2005-09-24T22:00:00Z

A new report released by UNISON demonstrates Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes do not out-perform public sector projects. "A Policy Built on Sand" nails the claim that the extra costs of PFI are offset by increased efficiency and it knocks out another of the Government's arguments for its continued use to build hospitals, schools and other major public sector projects. Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON and EPSU vice-President said:

"UNISON has always argued that PFI is a waste of taxpayers money. This report knocks out another of the Government's chief arguments for its continued use, namely that it generates value for money by improving the efficiency of construction procurement. This report shows that the evidence used to justify this claim was not only selective but fatally flawed.

"The Government has relied on this "efficiency" argument to such an extent they have forced non-PFI projects to add up to 24% extra onto their bids, to take account of notional cost and time overruns. The effect of this adjustment, intended to counter "optimism bias', is to make non-PFI schemes look even more expensive and therefore less attractive.

"This false argument has not only been used to promote PFI schemes in the UK but also to export PFI across the world.

For the full Unison press release

To download the report The Private Finance Initiative: A Policy Built On Sand by Prof Allyson Pollock, David Price and Stewart Player - Public health Policy Unit, UCL

Swedish government pushes collective agreements in public contracts

2005-04-27T10:24:21Z

The Swedish government has proposed to make it illegal to give public contracts to companies that have not signed collective agreements. Companies that do not respect this will not be selected for these public contracts. This is a possibility provide for in the European Public procurement directives but seldom used. The initiative follows the blockage of a Latvian contruction company that was building a school but refused to sign a Swedish collective agreement arguing it already had a Latvian one which offered lower pay and conditions. The Swedish unions blockaded the company Laval un Partneri Ltd's far building sites. In February 2005 the company had to abandon one of its building sites (Vaxholm) and Mid April the company filed for bankruptcy. EPSU and other unions have argued that the procedure in the procurement directives should be mandatory rather then voluntary, but which a Council majority did not follow.

Statement of the EPSU Steering Committee on the adoption of the European Parliament's report on state aids package

catherine — 2005-03-20T23:00:00Z

see full text in our Steering Committee section (February 2005) - Public Procurement

Launch of European campaign on implementation of new EU public procurement Directives

catherine — 2004-12-07T23:00:00Z

EPSU has joined forces with environmental, social and fair trade NGOs, social enterprises, city networks to make sure that EU public procurement directives adopted last year are transposed into national law in a way that social, ethical and environmental considerations can be included in public procurement processes. Governments and public authorities do have scope to promote sustainable development through public procurement - but only if the chose to do so.

EPSU with the other campaiging organisations has produced a leaflet (which will be translated) explaining why public procurement is important and giving arguments to persuade governments to implement the directives in a positive way. The leaflet contains a model letter to be sent to government ministers. We have also produced a first joint guide to the directives looking at social, environmental and ethical issues.


Model letter to governments - EN


Campaign leaflet - EN


campaign guide - EN only


Model letter FR


Campaign leaflet - FR


Model letter - GE


Campaign leaflet - GE


Model letter - SP


Campaign leaflet - SP


Model letter - SWE


Campaign leaflet - SWE