01-12-2021 13:45
Sustainable public procurement
On 1 December, the IMCO Committee, in association with the ENVI Committee, held a public hearing on sustainable public procurement. The aim of the hearing is to determine how using the full potential of public buying can help to achieve goals of the European Green Deal. Green public procurement has the potential to be a key tool for sustainable procurement as Europe's public authorities are major consumers (14% GDP annually).
By using their purchasing power to choose environmentally friendly goods, services and works, they can make an important contribution to sustainable consumption and production - what we call Green Public Procurement (GPP) or green purchasing. To be effective, GPP requires the inclusion of clear and verifiable environmental criteria for products and services in the public procurement process. During the hearing experts, representing various European universities, business organisations, EU Member States ministries and NGOs will discuss how to spread information and awareness on sustainable public procurement, how to target green procurement better, how to increase the use of it and how to ease access for socially responsible actors.