17.03.2025

Science Europe's Response to the European Commission’s Evaluation on Public Procurement Directives

Science Europe has responded to the European Commission’s call for evidence issued to evaluate public procurement directives, emphasising the opportunity to align them with the EU’s green and innovative economy goals. By incorporating environmental criteria, such as energy savings and circular economy principles, public procurement can become a driver of sustainable practices within research organisations. Our recommendations highlight tangible benefits and call for measures to ensure procurement processes contribute to environmental sustainability, advancing the aims of the European Green Deal.

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Context

Every year, public authorities in the EU spend around 14% of GDP (over EUR 2.4 trillion per year) on purchasing services, works and supplies. In many sectors such as energy, transport, waste management, social protection and the provision of health or education services, public authorities are the principal buyers. Around 48% of European Structural and Investment Funds are spent via public procurement.

To create a level playing field for businesses across Europe, EU law sets out minimum public procurement rules. These govern the way public authorities and certain public utility operators in the EU purchase goods, works and services above a certain value. EU directives on public procurement cover procedural rules (‘how to buy’), including generally applicable rules, specific rules applicable to entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors, and rules on concessions.

The Commission has launched an evaluation of three legislative acts that regulate public procurement in the EU (‘how to buy’): Directives 2014/23/EU (the Concessions Directive), 2014/24/EU (the Public Procurement Directive) and 2014/25/EU (the Utilities Directive). It will assess their performance and impact across the EU, whether they remain fit for purpose, deliver on their intended objectives at minimum cost and are adequate to address current challenges.

Source: Public procurement directives – evaluation

Science Europe’s Response

In response to the European Commission’s call for evidence on public procurement directives, Science Europe emphasises the unique opportunity to align these directives with the EU’s policy objectives, particularly the transition to a greener, more innovative economy. In the case of research and research-related activities, public procurement can be used to advance environmental sustainability in research organisations’ operations. 

Our response highlights the potential tangible co-benefits of green public procurement, such as financial savings, increased supply chain resilience, and enhanced reputational standing for research organisations. Importantly, we support measures like mandatory consideration of environmental criteria, life-cycle costing, considering quality of performance and planned obsolescence.

Through successful examples from our member organisations, we demonstrate that sustainable procurement is achievable and impactful. We advocate for technical assistance and capacity-building efforts to support the implementation of sustainable procurement practices. By doing so, we reinforce our commitment to fostering environmental sustainability in research and contributing to the broader goals of the European Green Deal.