Brussels, 2 September 2010 – The European Commission has published in July a second set of voluntary green public procurement (GPP) criteria for eight product groups to help authorities identify the greenest products when awarding public contracts. The first set of criteria for 10 product groups had been developed in 2008.
The eight categories are thermal insulation, combined heat and power, hard floor coverings, windows, wall panels, street lighting and traffic signals, road construction and road signs and mobile phones. Criteria for ten product groups including office IT equipment and copying paper have already been published.
Criteria for two more categories, boilers and air conditioning and heat pumps, have been postponed until related ecodesign and energy labelling requirements are agreed. The EC set indicative target for green public procurement is 50% by 2010. Only 7 member states are so far complying with this target, which leaves ample room for tapping more greening potential.