EFCA calls for ambitious reform of EU public procurement rules

The organisation is urging policymakers to seize the opportunity presented by the upcoming revision of the Public Procurement Directive to prioritise quality, value, and resilience over lowest-cost selection.

According to EFCA President Inés Ferguson, the current system’s focus on lowest-price awards risks undermining innovation, sustainability, and long-term societal benefit. “Europe faces unprecedented challenges that require high-quality engineering solutions — not the cheapest, but the best suited for long-term societal benefit. The current overreliance on lowest-price awards undermines innovation and sustainability. The upcoming revision of the directive is a unique opportunity to put quality, value, and resilience at the heart of public procurement,” Ferguson said.

EFCA’s paper sets out a range of recommendations aimed at shifting procurement practices towards long-term value creation, particularly for intellectual services such as engineering and design. The organisation advocates for limiting the use of lowest-price criteria in these sectors, mandating the use of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) with safeguards to prevent its misuse, and introducing price thresholds and mechanisms to address abnormally low tenders.

Other proposals include greater use of the “two-envelope system” to ensure that quality is assessed independently of price, cutting administrative burdens, removing barriers for SMEs, enhancing digitalisation, and safeguarding intellectual property rights generated in public projects.

Carl Fläring, Chair of EFCA’s Working Group on Public Procurement, commented, “EFCA believes that the upcoming revision of the Public Procurement Directive is a key opportunity to remove barriers to innovation and professional quality. Our recommendations aim to support a shift towards more strategic, flexible, and innovation-friendly procurement practices that strengthen Europe’s competitiveness while delivering better value for society.”

EFCA also highlights the importance of sound procurement practices in supporting sustainable investment and achieving EU objectives such as the European Green Deal and resilience strategies. The federation notes that while well-designed infrastructure and buildings may involve higher initial costs, they deliver long-term returns for society.

As discussions on the directive’s revision continue, EFCA is calling on European institutions to reframe public procurement as a strategic tool for driving quality, sustainability, and innovation in Europe’s built environment.