Draft procurement act sets out a single regulation
The European Commission will unify rules for how public bodies throughout the EU buy products or services, according to a draft of the upcoming Public Procurement Act obtained by Euractiv.
At the moment, the EU’s rules are split between three main laws on concession contracts, procurement and entities operating in some special sectors. The Commission plans on repealing all three and replacing them with a new law, the draft shows.
That law is also planned to be a regulation, meaning it will apply immediately once the European Parliament and national governments, in the Council of the EU, pass it. The three previous acts of legislation were directives, which gives EU countries leeway in adopting it – which can lead to rules differing between countries.
The proposal has also been much-expected amid an ongoing debate around whether the EU should put down binding rules for “Buying European”.
