As the European Parliament prepares for the pivotal vote on the Public Procurement Report (2024/2103(INI)) in the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee on 25–26 June, the Network for Sustainable Development in Public Procurement (NSDPP) has published an open letter that calls on Members of the European Parliament to support a procurement framework that places long-term value, fairness, and sustainability at its core.

The EU spends around 14% of its GDP on public procurement. How this money is spent profoundly shapes the social, environmental, and economic fabric of the Union. The current legislative revision offers a historic opportunity to address the persistent problems of race-to-the-bottom bidding, social dumping, and underuse of procurement as a strategic lever for sustainable development.

Via their open letter the Network for Sustainable Development in Public Procurement calls for a shift toward value-driven procurement that:

• Moves beyond the lowest price competition.
• Prioritises decent work, fair wages, quality and sustainability.
• Improves access to Small and Medium Enterprises and social economy actors.
• Prioritises the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups.
• Aligns procurement with EU values.

Read the Open Letter here.