Press Release: Public procurement: Commission proposes to simplify and modernise the legal framework

The European Commission has adopted a package of amendments to simplify and modernise the public procurement Directives. These Directives impose competitive tendering for public contracts, transparency and equal treatment for all tenderers to ensure that the contract is awarded to the tender offering best value for money. Contracts for public works and for purchases of goods and services by public authorities and public utilities account for around 14% of the Union's GDP. The Lisbon European Council acknowledged the importance of this legislative package for the competitiveness of European companies, effective allocation of public resources, economic growth and job creation, and recommended its adoption and implementation by 2002.