Strategic Use of Public Procurement – Limits and Opportunities

The term ‘strategic use of procurement’ indicates that the procurement (also referred to as sustainable procurement) is about more than just saving money. Other important interests such as social and environmental considerations can be promoted through public procurement. Procurers can, according to newly proposed Directives on public procurement, make better use of public procurement in support of such societal goals. Thus, the Member States may use their purchasing power to procure goods and services that foster innovation, respect the environment and combat climate change, while also improving employment, public health and social conditions. However, the objective of the procurement rules is primarily to strengthen the single market and the EU’s competitiveness. This policy analysis discusses how these new trends in public procurement may be reconciled with the general EU internal market law.