The European Commission presented on Wednesday a revamp of public procurement rules within the Union, aiming to encourage authorities to prioritize goods and services produced in Europe, amid growing economic pressure from China.
The principle is simple: to push European public authorities to spend taxpayers’ money primarily with suppliers from the continent. The European Commission published on Wednesday its proposals for a thorough revision of the regulatory framework for public procurement in the EU, as part of a new initiative called « Buy European. »
This plan does not provide for binding quotas. National authorities and public bodies will be encouraged, not obliged, to direct their purchases towards products and services of European origin. A nuance that reflects the political difficulties in imposing too rigid rules on twenty-seven Member States with sometimes divergent interests.
The initiative is part of Brussels’ broader strategy to reduce Europe’s economic dependence on China, whose industrial capacity and competitive prices weigh on European companies in many sectors. Public procurement represents a considerable share of economic activity within the Union, making it a potentially powerful lever to steer demand towards local production.
