Brussels, 17/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has updated the national lists of public entities (administration, public services and services to the public, universities, lotteries, etc) which are subject to public procurement contracts (2004/18/EC for traditional markets and 2004/17/EC for special sectors). Revision takes account of European Union enlargement to Bulgaria and Romania as well as of liberalisation underway in the postal sector. In 2006, nearly 32,000 contracting authorities launched calls for tenders for markets representing around €380 billion.
Concessions. In the field of concessions, the timeliness of launching a European legislative initiative aimed at providing a framework for services concessions “remains an unanswered question”, admitted European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy responsible for the internal market, speaking last week in London at a conference organised by the British service providers association. He went on to add that his department was still working at putting together the data on attributing concessions in member states, a stage which, he says, is necessary before any decision can be taken. Concessions differ from traditional public contracts in that the contracting authority grants a company the right to commercially exploit a work (e.g. a toll bridge) or a service (e.g. public transport lines). Although work concessions are governed by European legislation, services concessions so far only abide by the European treaty (see EUROPE 9492). (M.B./transl.jl)