Strasbourg / Brussels, 26/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has adopted the Community regulation establishing a single classification system for public procurement, by approving at second reading the report by Stefano Zappala (Forza Italia). The regulation harmonising the terminology used in calls for tenders will take effect in 2003 and become compulsory after the enforcement of two other public procurement directives (conventional and sector-specific) being examined in Council and Parliament.
Replacing the four current nomenclatura with a single classification, the new system aims to improve the transparency of procurement contracts with Member States. It should also facilitate on-line procurement and the comparability of data. The system will make it possible to strengthen competition and improve output, which is in the interest of the adjudicating authorities and the taxpayers, Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said, welcoming the adoption of the regulation.
We recall that the Competitiveness Council is, in principle, to reach a political agreement on Monday on the sectoral directive on public procurement (see EUROPE of 21 September, p.9). It reached a political agreement on the conventional directive in May. Conciliation procedure will probably be required to bring the positions of the Parliament and Council closer on these two texts.