CCPS welcomes positive step forward in European Commission Procurement review
Posted on Tuesday 24 January 2012
European Commission (EC) proposals for a revised Public Procurement directive have been welcomed by CCPS as a positive step towards better procurement of social services, with potentially less frequent competitive retendering, and which will enable authorities to give more prominence to service quality and continuity.
The EC proposals, announced in December, respond very closely to all the points that CCPS raised on behalf of providers in last year’s related consultation. While much of what is proposed is welcomed by CCPS, further clarity is needed, particularly around the extent to which existing Scottish Government guidance and policy on competitive tendering for social care will change, given that the EU Treaty principles of ‘transparency’ and ‘equal treatment’ will still apply.
The Scottish Government has sought views on the proposals from CCPS and other key stakeholders to inform negotiations with the UK Government and the European Commission later this month. CCPS will continue to keep a close watching brief on this issue, as the European Commission is pressing for the new Directives to be adopted by the end of 2012 and transposed into legislation by June 2014.