Project Purpose
Sustainable Procurement is =
a process by which public authorities or private corporations seek to achie=
ve the appropriate balance between financial, environmental and social cons=
iderations when procuring goods, services or works at all stages of the val=
ue transformation cycle, taking into account their costs through the entire=
life-cycle. Such considerations pertain, for instance, to the respect of c=
ore labor and safety standards in the production process, and the energy ef=
ficiency performance and innovative characteristics of the purchased produc=
ts. Sustainable procurement is rapidly increasing, as international, region=
al and national entities are establishing ambitious policy objectives in th=
is regard. In the European Union for example, where public procurement amou=
nts to 17% of countries=E2=80=99 GDP on average, Member States have been re=
quired to achieve a share of 50% of public tenders including environmental =
criteria in more than 20 priority product and services categories, includin=
g lighting, textile, food, paper, office building design construction and m=
anagement. Demonstrating compliance with sustainability considerations may =
introduce however additional administrative burdens to trade across border,=
particularly for small-medium enterprise suppliers when, participating in =
international tenders, are requested to proof compliance with specific envi=
ronmental and social regulations, norms and standards. It becomes therefore=
relevant to facilitate these companies in their compliance with these sust=
ainability matters. The facilitation of international sustainable procureme=
nt practices look at how procedures and controls governing the movement of =
goods across national borders can be improved to reduce associated costs an=
d maximise efficiency while safeguarding legitimate regulatory objectives, =
which could be resolved by implementing processes and practices that: 1) Si=
mplify the exchange of information and data once compliance is ensured; 2) =
Enable fast transfer of certificates; 3) Allow for electronic smooth tender=
ing; 4) Support the legal validity of the documents exchanged; 5) Streamlin=
e the procedures between the contracting entity and the tenderer.