Strategic Sourcing Europe

This is an executive summary of what ‘principles and tresholds of EU Procurement Regulations’ are. All details can be found on EU Public Procurement website

Public companies and bodies in Europe are required to comply with the procurement regulations set out by the European Union. EU Regulations have three main principles:

* advertising of contracts throughout the European Union (EU) so that all firms in the member states have an opportunity to submit tenders;

* the equal treatment of all enquiries so as not to eliminate on the basis of the nationality of the supplier or the origin of the goods or services. This includes the banning of national technical specifications liable to discriminate against foreign tenderers;

* application of objective criteria in the tendering and award procedures so as to achieve a high degree of transparency.

EU Regulations require all contracts over the EU Thresholds to be advertised by the Council in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).

Currently, in April 2006, EU tresholds are following:

Public works contracts……………………………………………….EUR 5 000 000

Service contracts……………………………………………………….EUR 200 000

Supply contracts………………………………………………………..EUR 200 000

Supplies in the water, energy and transport sectors……..EUR 400 000

Supplies in the telecommunications sector…………………..EUR 600 000

Public works contracts……………………………………………….EUR 5 000 000

Contracts coming under GATT regulations……………………EUR 125 000

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