Brussels, 08/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - More than three years after implementation of the new European directives (2004/18/EC for traditional markets and 2004/17/EC for special sectors) the European Parliament has decided to examine the way in which Community law governing the awarding of public procurement contracts i is implemented in the European Union. Heide Rühle (Greens/EFA, Germany) was put in charge of preparing an own-initiative report on the internal market that the assembly is expected to adopt in the spring. In this connection, a public hearing will be organised at the end of the year, perhaps in November. On Tuesday 6 October, the parliamentary committee held a first exchange of views on the issue and identified several discussion themes: - to look at the contribution of the public procurement markets in national economic recovery projects; - to analyse the behaviour that tends to prevent competition with companies from different member states; - to identify how to promote transparency in public markets.
It was also noted that the German Social Democrat Barbara Weiler was appointed rapporteur on the draft directive introducing at a European level, a maximum 30 day deadline for payments made by the adjudication authorities in the public markets. (M.B./trans/rh)