The Commission is expected to present, on 1 July, a proposal for a Public Procurement Act, an initiative aimed at reviewing the current European public procurement framework and adapting the applicable rules to the EU’s new economic and industrial priorities.

Public procurement accounts for around 15% of the European Union’s GDP. Every year, EU public authorities spend more than €2.6 trillion on the procurement of services, works and supplies.

One of the priorities of this review is the possibility of giving preference to products of European origin in certain strategic sectors, including through the introduction of “Made in Europe” criteria. The proposal is also expected to give greater weight to considerations relating to sustainability, resilience and economic security.

Another relevant strand of the reform is expected to concern the digitalisation of public procurement. The Commission is considering the creation of a single access point for procedures and relevant information, facilitating the participation of economic operators and the sharing of data between public administrations in the Member States.

For companies and contracting authorities, the reform may place greater emphasis on criteria such as product origin, environmental performance and the security of supply chains. This shift will, however, need to be reconciled with the principles of competition, transparency and sound management of public expenditure.

Our team remains available should you require any further information.