Green public procurement – new European law

Green public procurement – new European law already since April 2016
New directives referring to public procurement (2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU), the deadline for  implementing of which into laws of EU member states expires on 18 April 2016 provide for the possibility to issue ecological requirements not only for ordered products or services but also for production processes and methods at each stage of life cycle of a product or service. One of the most important change is to give up the lowest price criterion in favour of the most economically advantageous tender.

According to the provisions of the new directives the ordering party may find the tender most economically advantageous if it demonstrates the best ratio of quality to price, considering quality, ecological or social aspects  of a given subject of order.  The price or cost (e.g. life cycle cost) may be taken into account in this evaluation.

The new EU regulations expand the possibility to use e.g. the European ecological marking EU Ecolabel in public procurement through direct reference thereto in the framework of technical specifications, award criteria or terms of execution of order.

The EU criteria in the scope of green public procurements are divided into basic criteria which include key criteria of impact on environment and complex criteria which may be applied if the ordering party wants to purchase products which are  the best in the market in terms of environment e.g. with the EU ecological marking EU Ecolabel).

In all EU criteria referring to the GPP one of the evidence confirming conformity with certain requirements are type I ecolabels. Certificates of the European ecological marking EU Ecolabel are included among other things in this category. The ordering party using among other things the  EU Ecolabel marking does not need to have expert knowledge because criteria mentioned are elaborated according to clear procedures in broad consensus of stakeholders including: European Commission, national competent bodies, industry, consumers’ associations as well as environmental organizations.

The EU Ecolabel logo guarantees that the product:

• is one of the most environmental friendly,
• has passed the evaluation by an independent body and meets rigorous environmental and health requirements,
• is recommended by consumers’ and environmental organizations,
• is recognized all over Europe,
• makes use of marketing activities taken by the European Commission (e.g. web site, The Ecolabel catalogue) and national competent bodies.

The process of assessment of conformity with EU Ecolabel ecological criteria is conducted by independent competent bodies.

In Poland the body competent for ecological marking EU Ecolabel, notified in the European Commission is PCBC S.A.

Click on the http://www.pcbc.gov.pl/pl/jak-uzyskac-eu-ecolabel to learn how to obtain the EU Ecolabel marking.

More information on this marking available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/.