See EESC opinion in all languages under Related documents at the end of this page.
Key points:
The EESC
- welcomes the communication from the Commission giving great importance to rapid transition to a general e-procurement system;
-
underlines the importance of e-procurement due to the potential benefits stemming from:
- transparency, anti-fraud measures,
- market efficiency,
- the 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;
- sees the transposition by mid 2016 as a proper and ambitious objective, which can only be achieved if certain conditions regarding standardisation, interoperability and accessibility are met;
- points out that, in spite of the enormous efforts made, the percentage of e-procurement remains very low;
- remains strongly critical of the reluctance of some Member States to cooperate;
- considers that maintaining thresholds hampers the development of the internal market and jeopardises competition on a level playing field.
Other relevant EESC opinions
- Opinions on public procurement
- EESC opinion on ‘Third country state-owned enterprises in EU public procurement markets’ (own initiative report)
For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat