New directives on public procurement and concession contracts will enter into force on 18 April 2016, providing an opportunity to turn public procurement into a strategic policy instrument.
This new EU-wide legal framework will help cities to promote smart cities solutions by allowing environmental and social considerations, as well as innovation aspects to be taken into account when awarding public contracts. Under the new rules, it will also be easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in public tenders.
In addition, the new directives make it easier for contracting authorities to bundle their purchases by using joint procurement procedures or purchasing through a central purchasing body. This can be done on a national or cross-border level. For the first time, the legal framework provides explicit and clear rules on joint cross-border procurement ensuring the necessary legal certainty for contracting authorities and central purchasing bodies.
Moreover, the rules on conflicts of interest and unlawful conduct will be strengthened to ensure the fair, equitable, transparent and non-discriminatory awarding of contracts. Finally, the new directives will simplify public procurement procedures and make them more flexible.