Research field: Cities in the Context of European Integration and Globalisation

Across Europe, public procurement accounts for around 14% of GDP in the EU. The idea of using public procurement not “merely” for the purchase of goods and services, but also for the pursuit of broader strategic objectives, is not new. In light of the current poly-crisis and the considerable financial volume involved, however, the potential of public procurement as an instrument for shaping societal developments gains more and more attention. This is the starting point for the present project, which explores the current legal framework for strategic public procurement both at the European level and within Austrian public procurement law and aims to identify the existing scope for action. Based on the finding that the relevance of different strategic objectives may vary among contracting authorities, the project specifically addresses different dimensions of strategic procurement (ecological, social, innovation-related, etc.). In addition, the project explores which factors are currently drivers or barriers for the consideration of strategic objectives in public procurement practice.

Key findings on the consideration of sustainability goals in government contracting were published as a book on strategic public procurement by Springer Verlag in the “Best Masters“ series.

Project Lead: Univ.Prof. Dr. Verena Madner, Dr. Stefan Mayr, LL.M.

Duration: 01.03.2022 - 31.12.2023