Green public procurement An innovative approach to greening manufacturing and supply chains

1
Green public procurement An innovative
approach to greening manufacturing and supply
chains

• DG EnvironmentJill Michielssen

2
Structure of presentation

• Policy background - figures
• New Legal framework
• Handbook GPP in practice
• Website
• Database
• Future projects

3
GPP Why is it important

• 14 à 16 of EU GDP Major environmental gains
  are possible
• Setting the good example
• Incentive for development and diffusion of
  environmental technologies, greening the supply
  chain
• Win-win situations are possible, especially if
  considering life cycle cost

4
International Policy background

• 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development
  Plan of Implementation calls for Sustainable
  Development in Decision-making gt
• Public procurement policies that encourage
  environmentally sound goods and services
• OECD Recommendation C(2002)3 on  improving the
  Environmental Performance of Public Procurement 

5
European Policy Background

• Article 6 of EC Treaty (Adam, 1997)
• European Sustainable Development Strategy
  (Göteborg, 2001)
• Economic growth, social cohesion and
  environmental protection MUST go hand in hand
• Links to many other policies IPP ETAP urban
  strategy FLEGT

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GPP tool for achieving many environmental
objectives

• More efficient use of natural resources,
  reduction and recycling of waste, improve urban
  environment
• Contribute to Integrated Product Policy - life
  cycle thinking (i.e. by including concept of LCC)
  
• Key action of Environmental Technology Action
  Plan boost uptake of environmental technologies
  
• FLEGT stimulate import of legally logged timber
  

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GPP Some figures

• High-level commitment to GPP
• DK 40
• S 50
• Above average of 19 in the EU
• G 30
• A 28
• UK 23
• Hurdles legal uncertainty - lack of
  environmental know-how to set right criteria
  budgetary constraints

8
European Legal framework

• Public Procurement Directives and Rules of the
  Treaty
• Core principles non-discrimination, equal
  treatment, transparency,  best value for
  money , opening up to competition,
  proportionality, link with the subject matter

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New public procurement Directives 2004 - Handbook

• Directives (March 2004) clarify possibilities for
  integrating environmental considerations at
  different stages of a public procurement
  procedure
• Handbook (August 2004) gives further explanations
  and best practice examples

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Buying green! A Handbook on environmental public
procurement

• Published in August 2004
• Launch event 29 October 2004
• Translation in all other EU languages in 2005
• Clear overview of all stages of public
  procurement procedure and corresponding
  possibilities for introducing environmental
  considerations
• Many best practice examples
• EUROPA - Environment - The greening of public
  procurement

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GPP in practice

• Description of product/service/work
• Technical specifications
• Selection criteria
• Award criteria
• Contract clauses

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 green  subject matter

• i.e. furniture stemming from sustainably
  harvested woods..
• Most transparent way to inform bidders
• May be inappropriate if public purchaser lacks
  knowledge on existence/availability or cost of
   green alternatives to product/service
  purchased

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Technical specifications

• Can be performance based/functional
• underlying technical specifications of ECOLABELS
  can be used in tender documents
• Ecolabel possible proof (non exclusive) of
  compliance with techncial specfications
• Can include environmental friendly production
  processes

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 green  selection criteria

• Exclusion - i.e. if conviction for environmental
  offence
• Technical - i.e. specific equipment enabling
  provision of  green  services/works
  certificate of conformity of product to  green 
  standards

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green  award criteria

• even if no economic advantage as such
• even if no direct environmental advantage for
  contracting authority
• may relate to  green  production processes
• i.e. - extra points if (part of) supplied
  electricity stems from renewable energy sources

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green  contract execution clauses

• i.e. delivery in bulk (not in separate
  containers) or by railway
• i.e. workers having to comply with specific
  environmental guidelines on the construction site
• Non-discriminatory, no disguised technical
  specifications or selection criteria

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Conclusion

• Lots of possibilities at all stages of
  procurement process subject to
• Respect of following principles
• Transparency
• Non-discrimination
• Link with subject matter of contract
• mutual recognition of equivalent products
  /specifications/production methods/labels

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Environmental Database

• basic environmental information
• Useful for  starters 
• To be complemented with more detailed information
  
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/gpp/guidelin
  es.htmdatabase

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Further promotion GPP

• Regularly updated Website GPP EUROPA -
  Environment - The greening of public procurement
• Cooperation with Member States (OMC) stimulate
  debate and exchange of information
• Help MS to draw up action plans containing
  targets for Green public procurement
• Organise training events
• Make available more detailed environmental
  information for identified groups of product and
  services
• Examine how green public procurement can
  stimulate development and diffusion of new
  environmental technologies

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Conclusions

• EU is committed to GPP
• GPP is an important instrument for achieving
  sustainable development
• GPP can pull new environmental technologies into
  the market place
• EU will further promote GPP

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Addresses

• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/gpp/index.h
  tm
• European Commission
• Environment Directorate-General
• Unit G/2 Industry
• 1049 Brussels
• Belgium