EU: EC issues guidance on 3rd country bidders in the EU procurement market

Today’s guidance is part of a package of Commission initiatives to ensure fair competition, high quality and a level playing field in public procurement markets. It is also the first deliverable of the 10 actions set out in the Communication on EU-China relations and supported by the European Council in its March 2019 conclusions.

The EU has an open procurement market, the largest in the world with a value estimated at €2 trillion yearly. In increasingly global markets, public buyers in the EU need to be equipped with the right tools and knowledge to deal with bidders from countries outside of the EU.

The guidance published today provides practical advice to public buyers in the Member States. It helps them identify which third country bidders have secured access to the EU procurement market. The guidance further aims to raise awareness among contracting authorities of the different instruments in the EU public procurement toolbox. This includes measures that may be taken in case of abnormally low-priced offers, as well as measures to ensure that third country bidders respect the same quality as EU bidders in areas such as security, labour and environmental standards.