EU governments spend a staggering 14% of the EU’s GDP on public procurement each year. Yet, despite its potential, there are significant concerns about whether it has truly delivered on SME access, sustainability, and fairness. The FTAO’s feedback aims to help the European Union shape more strategic procurement practices that prioritise social and environmental outcomes over price-only considerations.  

The Fair Trade Advocacy Office’s submission includes:

• A position paper including the Fair Trade Movement’s recommendations for the review of the EU’s 2014/24 Public Procurement Directive;
• A desk research focused on identifying relevant case studies and conducting a literature review, with particular emphasis on cases related to Fair Trade;
• And a joint letter by the Network for Sustainable Development in Public Procurement (NSDPP) addressed to the Members of the European Parliament working on procurement to prioritise sustainability, social justice, and transparency in its upcoming revision of public procurement directives.

Below you find a summary of the FTAO’s main proposals for the revision of the Public Procurement Directive 2014/24/EU:

1. Make the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) the default criteria
2. Enhance legal certainty for Sustainable Public Procurement uptake
3. Enhance social economy access to public procurement  
4. Beyond voluntary approaches: inclusion of Fair Trade references
5. Enhance the professionalisation of the contracting authorities  
6. Strengthen Human and Social Rights in the EU Directive  
7. The revision should also align with new EU initiatives, particularly Article 31 of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)  
8. Place greater emphasis on monitoring and measuring sustainability  
9. Integrate a Gender Equality lens into Public Procurement 

The FTAO also highlights how public procurement impacts are measured across EU member states and explores how governments can foster more strategic, sustainable procurement through supportive policies. The response stresses the need for a more consistent and strategic approach to procurement, one that better supports businesses driving positive social and environmental change. 

This feedback is part of the FTAO's broader advocacy efforts that aim to ensure that EU public spending is used wisely, not just for economic growth but to promote a fairer, more sustainable future. By aligning procurement policies with sustainable development goals, the EU can create a public procurement environment that delivers positive social and environmental impacts while fostering a more inclusive and fair economy. 

You can read the FTAO’s full response to the consultation, including the European Commission's questionnaire here. 

Get in touch:

For more information about the FTAO’s work on public procurement, please reach out to Paola Plaku, at plaku@fairtrade-advocacy.org.