Brussels, 29/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - France has set its position on the proposed mechanism, which the European Commission has promised for the summer, that seeks to restrict access to EU public procurement contracts if a non-EU country restricts reciprocal access. Paris is calling for a speedy referral procedure.
On Monday 28 March, French Trade Minister Pierre Lellouche set out for Commissioner Karel De Gucht the thoughts of the French government on the proposed mechanism prepared by the Commission to allow the EU to demand better reciprocity from emerging countries on access to public contracts, with sanctions if required. France was satisfied with the meeting, and Lellouche was delighted that the European executive had taken account of the French viewpoint on a compulsory mechanism.
The Commission trade and internal market departments have been working since October on a mechanism which would restrict access to EU pubic procurement contracts if a third country applied restrictions to EU companies. Very little information has filtered out since then. But one possibility under consideration is to allow member states and the Commission to oppose a public procurement contract concluded in an EU country by a company from an emerging economy which has not similarly opened its public procurement market to European businesses by means of referral to the European Court of Justice. “I formed the opinion that the Commission is moving towards a system which allows swift reaction”, Lellouche said after Monday's meeting. He argued for a rapid referral procedure. “We suggest a summary procedure for referral” with the possibility of applying sanctions, he said. The Commission has given no information on what was discussed at the meeting. It has confirmed, however, that it will very shortly, probably within the next two weeks, open a public consultation of stakeholders on the proposed mechanism. (E.H./transl.rt)