EESC Corner: E-Procurements

E-procurement can significantly simplify the way procurement is conducted, reduce waste and deliver better procurement outcomes (lower price, better quality) by stimulating greater competition across the Single Market. It can also contribute to addressing two of the main challenges the European economy is facing today: the need to maximise the efficiency of public expenditure in a context of fiscal constraints and the need to find new sources of economic growth.

In order to promote steady progress towards the objective of full e-procurement in the EU, the Commission intends to closely monitor both the take-up of e-procurement and its economic impact and will publish a report on e-procurement by mid- 2013.

The Commission intends to complete the transition towards a full e-procurement system, including both pre-award and post-award phases, by the end of June 2015 – delivering on its commitments in the Digital Agenda for Europe and e-Government Action Plan.

The EESC underlines the importance of e-procurement due to the potential benefits stemming from:

transparency, anti-fraud measures
market efficiency
extension of the public procurement market to SMEs
overall savings for public administrations
integration and development of the internal market
modernisation of public administrations and development of the European digital agenda
new opportunities for businesses offering technological services
career development for public administration and company employees

Publication of all procurement procedures in electronic form would make setting a threshold for European-type procedures pointless and harmful, and is something SMEs in particular are calling for. The EESC considers that maintaining thresholds hampers the development of the internal market and jeopardises competition on a level playing field. Committee supports the proposed objectives, but points out that the percentage of e-procurement remains very low. Some Member States are resisting change and do not want to open up the public procurement market to competition, wishing to protect national companies and avoid giving up considerable economic and political power.

Marie Zvolská,
EESC Member – Employers Group