EASPD joins high-level procurement dialogue ahead of new EU Act
On 24 June 2026, EASPD participated in "Espresso with Experts: A Procurement Dialogue", an informal breakfast event on the reform of EU public procurement rules, held in Brussels. The event was co-organised by the ASDPP (Alliance for Sustainable Development Public Procurement), a network EASPD is a part of.
About the event
The event brought together around 30 participants representing Members of the European Parliament, permanent representations of EU Member States, local authorities, researchers, civil society organisations, and trade unions.
Introductory speeches set the scene, emphasising the importance and benefits of the Socially Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP), showcasing evidence from different EU countries, which was followed by an open discussion among participants. Topics discussed included the move away from the lowest-price criterion in procurement, the use of quality and social criteria in tendering, and the role of local authorities as public buyers.
The event took place at a particularly relevant moment: the publication of the new EU Public Procurement Act, initially anticipated for early July, but has been postponed, with no confirmed date yet, however, to be expected soon. The window for influencing the content of the new legislation is therefore narrow, making exchanges such as this one all the more important.
What we want in the revised public procurement rules
EASPD has been actively engaged in the procurement reform process, submitting our positions during the collection of evidence and consultations stages, and by engaging with the EU officials.
Our key asks include making the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) the default award criterion in social services (instead of the mostly used lowest-price criterion), strengthening and properly enforcing social clauses, improving the framework for reserved contracts, introducing mandatory price revision to account for inflation, and ensuring that accessibility for people with disabilities is systematically integrated across procurement procedures. EASPD also supports greater legal clarity and consideration of the alternatives to public procurement in social services.