As part of the conference, the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) hosted the EU Fair Trade Policy Dialogue on Friday, 10 October, bringing together EU policymakers, local authorities, Fair Trade organisations and other stakeholders to discuss how public procurement can put fairness, sustainability and human rights at the heart of public spending.

The dialogue came at a key moment for EU procurement policy, following the European Commission’s proposal for a Public Procurement Act on 9 September. With public procurement accounting for around 15% of EU GDP, public authorities have significant potential to shape markets and support broader social and environmental objectives.

The discussion explored how the experience of more than 2,200 Fair Trade Towns across Europe and beyond can inform the EU debate, and how procurement rules can better support responsible production and fairer trading conditions.

“Fair Trade Towns show what is possible when dedicated local actors are backed by political will. Paris, for example, has pledged to source 100% Fair Trade bananas and chocolate by 2027. This is a great initiative, but it must not remain the exception,” said Paola Plaku, Senior Policy and Project Officer at the FTAO. “Too many local authorities still lack the capacity, resources and legal clarity needed to put fairness, sustainability and human rights into practice. As the EU reviews its procurement framework, it must make this the easy choice for every public buyer and not only the most motivated ones.”

The policy dialogue was moderated by Koen Van Troos of BIO, the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, and featured contributions from Members of the European Parliament Saskia Bricmont, Cristina Guarda and Anna Cavazzini; Rafael Mondaers of the European Committee of the Regions; Sandra Galbusera of Enabel; Laura Sauques of IFOAM Organics Europe; and Xavier Rombouts of Rombouts Coffee. 

The dialogue also featured a discussion with Grégory Mèche, General Director of the Caisse des Écoles du 20e arrondissement of the City of Paris (France); Jesper Jones of the Municipality of Göteborg (Sweden); Louise Dahl of the Municipality of Malmö (Sweden); and Furkan Senel of the Municipality of Ghent (Belgium), who shared their cities' journeys towards responsible public procurement as well as the practical challenges they have encountered along the way.

Beyond the policy dialogue, the conference showcased initiatives from Fair Trade Towns and local actors across Europe, highlighting how municipalities and communities can use public procurement and other local policies to advance fairer and more sustainable development.

The discussions underlined the importance of connecting local experience with EU policymaking to ensure that public spending contributes to fairer supply chains and better outcomes for producers and workers.

The Fair Trade Advocacy Office would like to thank the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for its support in making this dialogue possible on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Get in touch

For more information about our work on Public Procurement, please reach out to Paola Plaku at plaku@fairtade-advocacy.org.