Skip to content

The search returned 123 results.


Should Value for Money Be the Sole Criteria in Opting for PPP Option for Infrastructure Projects? journal article

Victor Izebhor

European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review, Volume 17 (2022), Issue 1, Page 23 - 32

Countries are increasingly using Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to deliver infrastructure projects and there are a number of reasons why governments around the globe utilise PPPs in delivering infrastructure projects amongst which is the financial benefits of the project. In PPP projects, it is necessary for the host government to carry out an analysis to show that the proposed project is a viable venture. It has been argued by various practitioners and academics that the critical question from the government’s viewpoint is whether the project demonstrates good Value for Money (VfM) sometimes also called Value for Investment (VfI). This article examines the concept of VfM, PPPs as distinguished from traditional procurement. It also expatiates on the use and focus of VfM assessment in the PPP decision-making process and puts the VfM analysis into a broader, context by expanding its subsets which is a mix of both quantitative and qualitative analysis and the tools used in assessing if an infrastructure project demonstrates VfM, this paper also looks at the different criticisms, constraints and limitations submitted by different academics, institutions and practitioners on why VfM should not be the only factor to be contemplated in determining if PPP is the best option for delivering infrastructure projects or if the project should be skewed towards traditional infrastructure procurement. The article proffers key recommendations which can guide government institutions, agencies, and industrial sectors in using and improving the VfM analysis. The concluding section answers if VfM should be the sole criteria in reaching the determination of skewing projects towards PPP or Traditional Procurement. Keywords: public-private partnership, traditional public procurement, value for money, public sector comparator, infrastructure finance


Locus Standi and the Interpretation of ‘Interest to Obtain a Particular Contract’ in Public Procurement Remedies journal article free

Marko Turudić

European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review, Volume 17 (2022), Issue 1, Page 14 - 22

Under Directive 1989/665/EEC, locus standi in public procurement remedies is recognised to at least any person having or having had an interest in obtaining a particular contract and who has been or risks being harmed by an alleged infringement. The Croatian Public Procurement Act does not diverge from this definition. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has established expansive and detailed case-law on locus standi, and in particular on what is to be considered a ‘particular contract’ under Article 1(3) of Directive 1989/665/EEC. Unfortunately, the case-law of the State Commission for Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures (DKOM) and of the High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia (VUSRH) established a much narrower interpretation. This paper aims to analyse relevant case-law of the CJEU, DKOM and VUSRH and explain how has this narrow interpretation of ‘particular contract’ affected the availability of public procurement remedies in Croatia. Keywords: public procurement remedies, locus standi, interpretation of particular contract





Data Protection in Smart Cities: journal article open-access

Pre-Commercial Procurement as a Silver Bullet?

Laurens Vandercruysse, Athena Christofi, Caroline Buts, Michaël Dooms, Peggy Valcke

European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review, Volume 17 (2022), Issue 2, Page 81 - 93

Globally, cities are adopting smart city services processing personal data at a rapidly increasing pace. As custodians of the public interest, public spaces and fundamental rights, cities should consider the need to ensure data protection, and enable democratic oversight and accountability in their procurement processes. Traditional public procurement rarely offers the leeway to substantively tackle this challenge. However, pre-commercial procurement, which allows public sector administrators to be closely involved in the service research and development stage, and to genuinely co-create with private partners, may prevent mismatches between private sector offerings and public sector needs in smart cities. This article contrasts data protection governance in the context of traditional and pre-commercial procurement of smart city services. Through case studies, opportunities and pitfalls for public administrations are distilled. Keywords: smart cities; data protection; traditional procurement; pre-commercial procurement


Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan: journal article

First Legal Thoughts with Focus on Public Procurement (Part II)

Ricardo Pedro

European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review, Volume 17 (2022), Issue 2, Page 107 - 117

This article analyses the legal framework implemented in Portugal for the execution of its Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). Starting from the analysis of the legal framework offered by the European Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR), it critically analyses the main regulations created on a special or exceptional basis for the implementation of the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan, with emphasis on the governance model, but also on the exceptional measures to facilitate budgetary procedures, expenditure authorisation and staff hiring and also special public procurement measures. As these special and exceptional measures are, as a rule, intended to relax or reduce the mechanisms of prior administrative control of certain procedures, the external control of special public procurement measures by the Portuguese Court of Auditors was strengthened. Lastly, and despite the Portuguese legislator not dedicating special legislation to it, the most appropriate means for resolving any legal disputes arising from the implementation of the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan are addressed. The present article will be divided and published in two parts. The first part will be dedicated to the MRR, Portuguese RRP and special measures for its implementation already with reference to the special procurement measures approved in this context. The second part will be dedicated to the analysis of the special measures for public procurement and the appropriate means for the resolution of possible disputes arising from the execution of the national RRP. In each part we will present the respective conclusions. Keywords: EU Next Generation Funds; Recovery and Resilience Mechanism; Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan; special public procurement measures; administrative arbitration


The Use of Languages in Public Procurement Procedures: journal article

A Hidden Non-Tariff Barrier to Free Movement?

Sarah Schoenmaekers

European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review, Volume 17 (2022), Issue 2, Page 71 - 80

In the European Union, the award of public contracts by contracting authorities has to comply with the principles of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and in particular the free movement of goods, freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services, as well as the principles deriving therefrom, such as equal treatment, non-discrimination, mutual recognition, proportionality and transparency. In principle, all procurement procedures start with a contract notice which is used as a means of calling for competition in respect of all procedures. By informing all economic operators about the possible business opportunities, European public procurement rules seek to promote competition and aim to open up the procurement market to undertakings beyond national borders. This is expected to lead to lower prices and more choice. Contract notices include information on the language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate must be drawn up which entails that economic operators are bound to draw up their tender proposal in the language(s) chosen by the contracting authority. It is not hard to imagine that this may seriously hinder free movement and restrict competition in the internal market. This contribution will focus on the use of languages in public procurement procedures and reflect on whether Directive 2014/24/EU, which finds it legal basis in the Articles 53(1) TFEU on freedom of establishment, 62 TFEU (free provision of services) and 114 TFEU (approximation of provisions relating to the establishment and functioning of the internal market) is not in itself hindering free movement by its regulation on languages. Keywords: language; non-tariff barrier; free movement; cross-border procurement; procedure


Is the Authorisation of the Conclusion of a Contract an Interim or a Permanent Measure? journal article

The Hungarian Case

Ádám Auer

European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review, Volume 16 (2021), Issue 4, Page 295 - 304

The review phase of public procurement procedures provides the opportunity for taking interim measures. This study shall scrutinise one of these legal institutions. Authorisation of the conclusion of a contract may be requested during the remedy phase of a public procurement procedure before the Hungarian Public Procurement Arbitration Board (PPAB). Under which circumstances is it possible to make such a request? What are the reasonings, grounded on which the PPAB shall establish its decision? The topicality of this study is that the Hungarian Constitutional Court basically has not deemed this peculiar legal institution interim by nature. The legislator must provide for legal remedy in connection to the type of interim measure being scrutinised hereby. Keywords: public interest, public procurement contract, null and void contract, interim measure, Hungary