'Elektronisch paspoort maakt aanbesteding overheidsopdrachten voor midden- en kleinbedrijf goedkoper' (en)

An electronic "public procurement passport" could make tendering for public procurement contracts less cumbersome and costly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), say Internal Market Committee MEPs in a non-legislative resolution voted on Monday evening.

SMEs win only 31%-38% of public procurement contracts by value - much less than their overall share in the economy (52% of combined turnover) suggests they should.

Today's public procurement rules make tendering for contracts cumbersome and costly, especially for smaller enterprises. To ease their access to public procurement contracts, the resolution calls on the European Commission to promote an EU-wide "electronic procurement passport" proving that the holder complies with EU rules on public procurement.

Other measures to remove administrative barriers for SMEs could include use of self-declarations of compliance and requesting original documents only from the shortlisted candidates or the successful tenderer. Also, dividing public contracts into lots would give SMEs a better chance of bidding, MEPs say.

"The Commission will have to recognise the strong view among MEPs that the rules should be simplified, to make them more flexible and give SMEs better access", said Parliament's rapporteur Heide Rühle (Greens, DE) after her report was unanimously backed in committee, with 35 votes in favour.

Not the cheapest, but the most advantageous

The "lowest price" criterion should no longer be the determining factor in awarding contracts. It should be replaced by that of the "most economically advantageous tender in terms of economic, social and environmental benefits, taking into account the entire life-cycle costs of the relevant goods, services or works", says the resolution.

Broadening the criteria, and systematically admitting alternative bids (or variants) would enable bidders to propose innovative solutions and thus might also strengthen the position of SMEs, says the rapporteur.

Background

EU Public procurement rules apply to contracts between public authorities and private enterprises for supplies, works and services. These contracts are classified in specific categories.

The committee favours maintaining existing public procurement contract categories for supplies, works and  two types of services; standard and local or regional.

It nonetheless calls on the Commission to "reassess the appropriate level of thresholds for supply and services contracts, so as to facilitate access to public procurement by amongst others not-for-profit and social economy operators as well as SMEs, and if necessary raise them".

The report is the committee's reply to a Commission green paper of 27 January 2011. It outlines MEPs' position ahead of a legislative proposal, which the Commission is to table later this autumn, to revise EU rules on public procurement.

Next steps

The report by Heide Rühle is scheduled for a plenary vote at the October Strasbourg session.

In the chair: Committee Chair, Malcolm Harbour (ECR, UK)