A new vision for public procurement in the European Union

A new vision for public procurement in the European Union

Rethink procurement as a means to create social value in terms of durable, sustainable and inclusive goods for people, territories and communities. Accelerate the digitalisation of public contracts, through new technologies and new open ways of collaborating with citizens and businesses, thus improving processes and making public contracts more user-friendly, inclusive and socially effective.
These are the principles condensed in a Declaration of Intent with which the international conference "New generation procurement" concluded today 13 September 2024 in Rome.

Organized by Anac, together with Open Contracting Partnership and KPP, the meeting saw the presentation of over one hundred political, academic and civil society representatives from twenty-six different countries at Palazzo Salviati, the venue of the works.
“In the coming years we will see major transformations in the European Union. The Commission is considering a revision of the public procurement directives. Furthermore, 2024 will also see the widespread adoption of new electronic procurement forms. The availability of high-quality, timely and accessible data will be decisive in monitoring results and making the best use of limited public resources, given that procurement is unfortunately an area at high risk of corruption. 
The European Anti-Corruption Directive should strengthen the demand for reliable procurement data across Europe,” declare the Final Statements.

“As a community of governments, public procurement professionals, universities, civil society organizations and private companies, we recognize the unique momentum to transform public procurement in Europe into a strategic, data-driven, digital service aimed at creating value for citizens, territories and communities: it must be a sustainable value. We will work collaboratively both at national level and with EU institutions to promote a genuine transformation of public procurement."

These are the objectives that the International Conference has set itself:

Value generation - Sustainable, inclusive and socially responsible procurement will produce true growth in prosperity: a multidimensional development (economic, social, civil and ethical) that generates value for citizens and ensures a real improvement in the quality of life.

Open by design – Procurement systems should be designed to be open by design, automatically publishing real-time, high-quality, well-structured and standardized open data about the entire procurement process, from planning to implementation, both above which is below the EU threshold.

Central role of data – Opening up procurement data would power analysis, giving data-driven insights into how spending could be more impactful, focused on helping achieve policy objectives.

Inclusivity - Publishing more information ensures easier access to tender information. This can lower the entry and cost barriers of doing business for SMEs and ultimately open up procurement opportunities for marginalized groups, such as women-led SMEs.

Integration at European level – The country databases and platforms should be integrated and data harmonised as much as possible to facilitate the exchange of information and boost the common public procurement market.

Efficiency and effectiveness - The procurement system and procedures must be designed to ensure ease of participation, stimulate competition and, at the same time, improve the delivery of goods and services, provide real value and sustainable resources for people, territories and the communities.