EU public procurement policy: the economic crisis as trigger for enhanced harmonisation

Abstract

While previous research on the impact of the economic crisis on EU policy has primarily focused on the internal market and financial market regulations, the effect on public procurement has so far been neglected. This lack of attention is surprising. Public procurement accounts for approximately 14% of the EU GDP and involves over 250.000 contracting public authorities. Therefore, procurement is considered essential for lifting the EU out of the crisis by promoting competitiveness and growth. Nevertheless, public procurement reflects contradictory developments. Whereas the European Commission strives for greater harmonisation, member states often focus on national priorities. By comparing the old and new procurement regimes through the lenses of historic institutionalism, this article demonstrates that the EU managed to enhance harmonisation despite tendencies of increased national protectionism. The article finds that procurement became a much more prominent policy instrument for greater market integration subsequent to the economic crisis.

Environmentally Responsible Behavior and Sustainability Policy Adoption in Green Public Procurement

“…Path dependency and bounded rationality may clarify the expansion of public procurement: Strategy alteration brings about a revision of policy mechanisms and approaches, while the chief objectives remain unmodified. The current procurement rules attempt to streamline the approaches, making them more adjustable, with the declared purpose of intensifying competitiveness and facilitating straightforward market access for small and medium-sized enterprises [69]. Economies of scale emerge when marginal expenses drop while activity level builds up, and consequently procurement purchase expenditures diminish as purchase volume rises.…”

Green and Sustainable Public Procurement—An Instrument for Nudging Consumer Behavior. A Case Study on Romanian Green Public Agriculture across Different Sectors of Activity

“…It shows that profit losses for farmers can be minimized but also the need to implement green measures in the context. The study can contribute to taking measures on continuous review and completion of national legislation in this field; consumer information campaigns about organic food, maintaining the health of the population; promotion in schools through education programs in the field of organic agriculture; developing scientific research so as to provide green solutions to different sectors of activity [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Table 1. Cont.…”

“…In line with the European Commission's clarifications on green and sustainable public procurement, many EU public authorities are implementing GPP as part of a broader approach to sustainability in their procurement. This process also addresses economic and social issues [6]. However, it is not the policy objectives that are changing; tools and techniques are those that change, including in the procurement system where [6] points out that the awarding of public procurement contracts, having as an award criterion the social aspects, was an important objective for the integration in a bigger market.…”

“…This process also addresses economic and social issues [6]. However, it is not the policy objectives that are changing; tools and techniques are those that change, including in the procurement system where [6] points out that the awarding of public procurement contracts, having as an award criterion the social aspects, was an important objective for the integration in a bigger market. These possibilities need to be considered in the future; economic crises can bring major changes-they can be a boost or budgetary constraints can change direction [7].…”

“…The European Commission considers that Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) is [8] a method used by public authorities to accomplish the best equilibrium between economic, social, and environmental pillars of sustainable development, during the different stages of procuring goods, services, or works [6]. Thus, SPP implementation consists of six different aspects: Green Public Procurement (GPP), Internal Social Criteria (ISC), Social Return on Investment (SROI), Bio-based Public Procurement (BPP), Circular Economy (CE), and Innovation-oriented Public Procurement (IPP).…”