Region: Europe and Central Asia
Country: Global / Non-Specific
Topics: SMEs, Procurement
Keywords: Legal Framework, Public Sector, SMEs, Local contractors, Concession
Document(s):
Directive 2014/23/EU (EN)1.23 MB, Directive 2014/23/EU (ES)1.27 MB, Directive 2014/23/EU (FR)1.27 MB
Document Summary:
Directive 2014/23/EU on the award of concession contracts (2014)
Document Details:
The absence of clear rules at Union level governing the award of concession contracts gives rise to legal uncertainty and to obstacles to the free provision of services and causes distortions in the functioning of the internal market. As a result, economic operators, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are being deprived of their rights within the internal market and miss out on important business opportunities, while public authorities may not find the best use of public money so that Union citizens benefit from quality services at best prices.
An adequate, balanced and flexible legal framework for the award of concessions would ensure effective and non-discriminatory access to the market to all Union economic operators and legal certainty, favouring public investments in infrastructures and strategic services to the citizen. Such a legal framework would also afford greater legal certainty to economic operators and could be a basis for and means of further opening up international public procurement markets and boosting world trade. Particular importance should be given to improving the access opportunities of SMEs throughout the Union concession markets
Updated: March 8, 2022