The European Commission has proposed replacing the EU’s public procurement directives with a single regulation that would apply directly across the bloc.
The proposal would introduce a European preference framework for public contracts and create the basis for a digital marketplace connecting tender systems across all 27 member states.
The proposal was adopted in Brussels on Wednesday. It would bring three existing directives, along with procurement rules currently spread across sector-specific legislation, into a single Public Procurement Act.
It would also reduce the number of award procedures from five to three.
Public procurement accounts for around 15% of EU GDP. The Commission estimates that the new rules could save €650mn a year in administrative costs, including €80mn for public buyers and €570mn for companies taking part in tenders.
