ERF/GSV seminar on the new Rules for Public Procurement

25 September 2015 | Vienna, Austria

On Wednesday 16th September 2016, the ERF, together with its Austrian Member GSV, the Austrian Platform for Mobility, organised an event on ‘The new rules of Public Procurement’ in Vienna.The new framework set up by the European Directives 2014/24/EC and 2014/25/EC on Public Procurement will strongly modify the relations between the contracting authorities and the contractor. These guidelines are intended to ensure a fairer and better quality procurement and should help get away from the lowest bidder principle, which had been preeminent in the past.

Further to the welcome speech of Mario Rohracher, Secretary General of GSV, An Baeyens, from the EC, DG Internal market, industry entrepreneurship and SMEs, made a presentation on the main features of the new Directives, insisting on their importance as a tool for innovation, a key driver for future growth. The transposition of both Directives in the different MS national law (April 2016) and its particular impact for smaller local authorities and SMEs is also a complex issue. Mr. Michael Fruhmann, Procurement Law expert at the Federal Chancellery, gave in-depth information about this related legal implications in Austria.

Christophe Nicodème, Director General of the ERF, highlighted the necessity of a more intense dialogue between public and private partners. After a presentation of some existing procurement best practices, a round table, moderated by Mario Rohracher, allowed the participants to debate and discuss about many issues related to the implementation of the Directives in Austria.

Check out the photos of the event here.

For more information about the event please contact Mr. Christophe Nicodeme.