New Green Public Procurement rules come into force

18 April, Brussels – New Public Procurement rules have come into force, aiming to simplify procedures for public administrations and companies to promote Green Growth through their purchasing decisions.

Under the new rules, public authorities will be allowed to prioritise environmental requirements in their contracts in order to support public policy objectives and growth in eco-innovative businesses. In the EU, 14% of GDP is spent by public authorities on procurement, making such procurement criteria influential in changing business behaviour.

The changes, introduced under the 2014 Procurement Directive, allow public authorities to request that bidders meet high environmental standards, such as meeting requirements of the EU eco-label, using energy efficient machinery and including environmental costs in their bids, based on Life Cycle Assessments. Companies can be excluded from bidding if they are not compliant with environmental law.

For more information, see the Statement from the European Commission.

 

By Philipp Grundmann and Nathalie Bargues “Almost one fifth of the EU’s total surface area is covered by grasslands. This…

Read Story

The partners of the FOODRUS and CO-FRESH projects held their final events in Brussels this week, exploring and discussing their…

Read Story

The Creativity World Forum 2024 will take place in the Basque Country, organised by GAIA Cluster, on 15-17 April 2024.…

Read Story
Arrow-up