Erik Norling, the President of EMTA, was in Brussels on Thursday to address the stance of large European public transport authorities in a dialogue session on public procurement with Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.
The European Commission adopted its proposal for a new regulation, the Public Procurement Act, in September. The proposal would replace the three 2014 procurement directives and aims to introduce simpler, more flexible rules, as well as criteria for European preference and stronger strategic procurement objectives.
Many of EMTA’s members – public transport authorities of the largest metropolitan areas across 21 countries in Europe – already employ their public procurement strategically, going beyond the mere delivery of services or products to advance wider societal goals. EMTA welcomes this strategic recognition at EU level that promises more flexibility in tendering but reminds that new rules must not increase bureaucracy for authorities. The regulation must also be clear, workable and go hand-in-hand with protection from unrealistic offers and lengthy litigation.
EMTA’s 35 member authorities orchestrate daily sustainable mobility for more than 110 million Europeans.
