Green Public Procurement European Commission perspective

1
Green Public Procurement European
Commission perspective

• DG Environment

2
GPP in the EU

• City of Wien gt mandatory use of environmental
  criteria catalogue gt total value of contracts
  covered 5 billion
• City of Bonn gt procurement of tropical timber
  only if certified as originating from sustainable
  forest management (FSC or equivalent)
• City of Kolding, DK gt 92 of all framework
  agreements are  green  (2005)

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GPP in the EU

• Actual promotion of GPP started in 2003 with IPP
  Communication
• Life cycle approach to improve environmental
  performance of products
• Cooperation of all stakeholders
• Public authorities identified for high potential
• Member States are recommended to set up National
  Action Plans on GPP by end 2006

4
GPP and ETAP

• Kok Report on Lisbon Review gt MS to draw up
  National Action plans for GPP!
• ETAP fully integrated in Lisbon strategy gt
• boost competitiveness - reduce pressure on
  natural resources
• by stimulating market for Environmental
  Technologies
• Identifies over 20 actions gt GPP is priority
  action
• Report on implementation of ETAP early 2005
• gt calls for National Action plans on GPP
  endorsed by EP in its conclusions

5
Working towards National Action Plans for GPP

• Action plans should
• Be based on assessment of current situation
• Set ambitious objectives for situation in 3 years
  
• State measures taken to achieve those targets

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Working towards National Action Plans for GPP

• To help MS, the CE has concluded a service
  contract to
• Measure the situation on GPP in all 25 MS
• propose political aspiration levels for GPP
• propose more detailed targets per product
  group/organisation to support these aspirational
  levels
• Identify good practices and environmental
  technical specifications for use in GPP

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Some figures on GPP

• Public Procurement 14 à 16 of EU GDP
• 7 front runners gt Austria, Denmark, Finland,
  Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK
• gt 40-70 of published tenders during the past
  year included environmental criteria
• Other 18 countries gt less than 30 of green
  tenders

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Factors enabling GPP

• Political support - GPP programmes
• Information sources (websites with green
  criteria)
• Training programmes
• Promote specific purchasing techniques
• performance-based requirements
• life-cycle-cost as award criterion
• green variants
• Implementation of environmental management
  systems by the procuring organisations

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Most suitable products and services

• Based on availability of clear environmental
  criteria and/or high environmental impact
• Sewage, sanitation and disposal services
• Paper
• printing services
• office machinery
• Furniture
• food products and catering services
• construction work
• transport equipment
• electrical machinery and medical devices
• energy

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More promotion of GPP

• Political support gt under IPP and ETAP ..
• Networking with Member States gt information -
  guidance
• Awareness-raising and training
• Launch event of handbook October 2004
• Awareness raising for new Member States
• September 2005
• Handbook on GPP in all EU languages!
• Environmental database
• Leaflet and guidelines on use of eco-label
  criteria in GPP

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Handbook on GPP

• Good didactic value for local authorities
• Contains many best practice examples
• Follows the normal structure of a public
  procurement procedure
• gt easy to integrate in general procurement
  trainnig !

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GPP and eco-labels

• Underlying technical specifications can be used
  in tender documents
• Eco-label can be recognised as a (non-exclusive)
  proof of compliance with technical specifications
• i.e. Europen eco-label
• mostly for products refrigerators, computers,
  paper..
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ecolabel/ind
  ex_en.htm

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Overcoming the knowledge gap Environmental
Database

• Basic environmental information refers to
  national and EU eco-labels where appropriate
• Useful for  starters  - to be complemented and
  made more accessible with results of service
  contract
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/gpp/guidelin
  es.htmdatabase

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More access to information needed

• Final report of service contract will propose
• good practices
• examples of concrete environmental specifications
  distinguishing levels of GPP
• Include LIFE CYCLE COST !
• Presentation at event in Graz, Austria, 3-4 April
  2006
• Will be included in new  knowledge  database on
  GPP - 2006

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Training

• ESSENTIAL !
• By EC focus on Member State with poor
  application rate of GPP
• By EC (TAIEX) upon request by 10 new Member Sates
  http//taiex.cec.eu.int/
• By Member States gt to be included in general
  public procurement training

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addresses

• European Commission
• Environment Directorate-General
• Directorate G Sustainable development and
  integration
• 1049 Brussels
• Belgium
• mailtojill.michielssen_at_cec.eu.int
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/environment/gpp/