NAVCA welcomes proposed changes to EU procurement rules
04/01/2012
NAVCA has welcomed the new proposals from the European Commission for revised public procurement directives, published on 20 December 2011. The proposals follow last year’s consultation by the European Commission and they recognise that social, health and education services have specific characteristics that do not fit with the current procurement rules. NAVCA believes these proposals will make it easier for local charities and voluntary organisations to deliver public services.
NAVCA particularly welcomes the proposed recommendations that the threshold for social, health and education services is significantly raised to EUR500,000 (from EUR200,000) and that only basic principles of transparency and equal treatment should be applied to the way these services are purchased. NAVCA campaigned for these changes in the EU procurement rules to help local charities and voluntary organisations and last year urged local voluntary and community sector organisations to get involved in the consultation. NAVCA believes these proposals give contracting authorities more flexibility and will allow them to give recognition to social value and the other benefits that local voluntary sector delivery can bring.
NAVCA also supports the Commission’s proposal to introduce a need to explain why contracts above EUR 500 000 have not been divided into lots, which would support local charities delivering public services. We also support the new regulations, that if implemented, would reduce environmental and social damage, for example, the ability to exclude bidders for breaching social, labour or environmental laws.
Kevin Curley, Chief Executive of NAVCA said;
“EU procurement rules have a massive impact on charities and voluntary organisations, which are increasingly involved in the delivery of public services. The Commission has shown that is aware of the problems many local charities have with commissioning
“These recommendations are a great step forward to making it easier for commissioning bodies to undertake the ‘intelligent commissioning’ processes that we have always campaigned for. Processes that recognise the true value that local charities and voluntary organisations bring to local public service delivery”.
