EU reviews public procurement contracts

The European Commission announced an on-line consultation of stakeholders in all EU Member States on the 7 June 2011 for their views on a new policy on access to the EU's public procurement markets as announced in the Single Market Act of April 2011.

The on-line questionnaire will be open for contributions until 2 August 2011. Replies will feed into legislation on this issue later in 2011. The aim is to create increased leverage for negotiating access to the procurement markets of other trading partners. This should help expand business opportunities for EU companies, as outlined in the EU's renewed trade strategy 'Trade, Growth and World Affairs" presented in November 2010'.

In addition, the legislation seeks to establish clear terms of access to the EU's €1,800 billion government procurement market for suppliers from outside the EU. This should bring more legal certainty for both the EU public entities that need goods and services and their prospective international suppliers.

European Commission: RAPID: Press Release: IP/11/682: European Commission consults public authorities, business and civil society on access to external public procurement markets http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/682&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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