European Commission proposes public procurement law reform
The European Commission has proposed reform to European public procurement laws to ensure public bodies take into account economic, social and environmental factors over the life-cycle of the project, rather than simply opting for the cheapest bid.
The reform is one of the twelve priority actions set out in the Single Market Act adopted by the EU in April 2011. The Commission said its proposals aimed to make procurement “simpler and more effective”, would cut red tape for companies applying to supply goods and services, and would encourage smaller businesses to apply.