Opinion of the EESC on "European Procurement Market Brussels, 13 July 2011 OPINION of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Green Paper on the modernisation of EU public procurement policy - Towards a more efficient European Procurement Market (INT/570 )
Rapporteur: Mr van Iersel
Co-rapporteur: Mr Cabra de Luna
On 27 January 2011, the European Commission decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under Article 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on the: "Green Paper on the modernisation of EU public procurement policy - Towards a more efficient European Procurement Market - COM(2011) 15 final".
The Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption, which was responsible for preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 23 June 2011.
At its 473rd plenary session, held on 13 and 14 July 2011 (meeting of 13 July), the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 164 votes to 1 with 4 abstentions.
5.6 Concerning innovation and public procurement the pioneering Aho Report and "A Lead Market Initiative" are worth mentioning. Innovation can concern a very wide range of issues: high-tech, low-carbon, low-energy, new and alternative methods for health care and social services, construction, transport, infrastructure and others. The EESC underlines that demand can have a critical role as driver of innovation which has been neglected or downplayed for many years. It can indirectly promote engagement of universities and R&D Centres together with the continued innovation of, for example, SMEs and actors in the social economy.
See online : On the EESC’s website
