Towards socially responsible public procurement

Abstract

The 2014 procurement and concessions directives have clarified the possibilities that exist for referring to social considerations in public procurement (and socially responsible public procurement). Still, these rules fall, in the main, well short of being mandatory and instead leave wide margins to Member States and their contracting authorities which do not wish to consider social and human rights concerns when buying. Furthermore, concerns about ensuring the widest competition possible may limit reference to social considerations. Recently proposed reforms may however go a long way towards more sustainable production and procurement.