The European procurement directives are on the eve of a major revision. In 2026, the European Commission will officially start the legislative process. The European Parliament has already established a number of objectives, and these were adopted this month by a large majority. With that, the starting signal has been given for a fundamental revision of the current framework, which now consists of more than 900 pages of complex legislation.
Earlier, I wrote about the outcome of the consultation die werd gehouden. De Europese Commissie had namelijk uitgevraagd wat de wensen zijn van de markt. Mede op basis van deze informatie is het parlement nu tot doelstellingen gekomen.
One of the objectives is shorter, clearer legislation. This should also create room for less bureaucracy, more space for bidders, and better spending of public money. It is also important that price criteria in awarding receive less weight. More weight is desired for criteria in the area of quality, sustainability, social conditions, and employment conditions.
In the market consultation, it repeatedly emerged that the threshold amounts would be too low, so that assignments that are too small must be tendered. It will be investigated whether the procurement thresholds are indeed too low, for example due to rising costs and inflation. Possibly, the threshold amounts will therefore be significantly increased.
To be continued.
For questions about European procurement directives, you can contact Menno de Wijs, procurement law attorney.
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