WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2814/97 by Reino PAASILINNA , Riitta MYLLER , Pertti PAASIO , Maj THEORIN , Tommy WAIDELICH , Carole TONGUE , Dietrich ELCHLEPP , Philippe DE COENE to the Commission. Process for the selection of technical assistance consultants in the Commission
Date: 1997-09-01
Institutions: DE COENE, ELCHLEPP, European Parliament, MYLLER, PAASILINNA, PAASIO, THEORIN, TONGUE, WAIDELICH
Subjects: action programme, cost-effectiveness analysis, development aid, invitation to tender, professional qualifications, technical cooperation, third country

C 134/22

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

30. 4. 98

(98/C 134/27)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2814/97

by Reino Paasilinna (PSE), Riitta Myller (PSE), Pertti Paasio (PSE),
Maj Theorin (PSE), Tommy Waidelich (PSE), Carole Tongue (PSE),
Dietrich Elchlepp (PSE) and Philippe De Coene (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 1997)

Subject: Process for the selection of technical assistance consultants in the Commission

The EU implements a development programme which aims at improving the economy and living conditions in
the less developed countries. The projects calling for technical assistance are run by consultancy companies or
group of companies selected by the Commission.

The selection process varies greatly within the Commission. Each DG seems to have its own selection procedure,
which is rather unclear and definitely not transparent. The practice in DG I has drawn our attention, as we believe
it does not secure the selection of the best candidate. The consequences will be seen as failures in achieving the
set  targets  and  thus  as  wastage  of  funds.  In  the  process,  a  minimum  qualifications  limit  is  set  for  technical
tenders. Thereafter, the financial tenders of companies who have at least the required minimum points for their
technical  tender  are  opened,  and  the  cheapest  bid  wins  the  contract.  No  credit  is  given  for  the  quality  of  a
technical tender exceeding the minimum level.

The  system  favours  countries  where  the  salary  levels  are  low.  It  encourages  less  experiences  and  qualified
personnel to reach just the minimum qualification level. Less qualified teams also increase the workload of the
Commission  in  monitoring  the  project.  Development  projects  usually  deal  with  very  difficult  technical,
socio-economic and economic issues. Hence they require extremely qualified and experienced teams to be able
to cooperate smoothly with the project stakeholders and find solutions to the complicated problems involved.
High quality serves the interest of the EU and in particular the recipient country.

What will the Commission do to create a system which would give more weight to the technical tender in relation
to  the  financial  tender,  would  ensure  due  credit  to  candidates  with  high-calibre  teams  and  yet  lead  to  more
cost-effective project implementation?

Answer given by Mr Mar(cid:14)·n on behalf of the Commission

(14 October 1997)

The selection of consultants to provide technical assistance services under contract on Community development
aid programmes follows rules laid down in Title IX of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget
of the Community (1) and elsewhere.

Article 118(1) of the Financial Regulation states that a restricted invitation to tender must be issued for service
contracts.  The  Commission  shortlists  candidates  on  the  basis  of  their  qualifications,  experience  and
independence, and their availability for a particular job.

In accordance with Article 117 of the Financial Regulation, service contracts are awarded to the firm whose
tender is (cid:145)economically the most advantageous(cid:146). The price factor is taken into account after a rigorous selection
process using criteria laid down in the project specifications, including technical merit, quality and performance
schedule.

The  technical  criteria  laid  down  in  the  tender  specifications  include  detailed  stipulations  for  consultants’
qualifications.  These  job  profiles  invariably  specify  highly-qualified  staff  with  a  high  level  of  academic
achievement plus a track record in the project area or geographical region concerned.

Tenders are scrutinised and ranked on technical merit and the contract is awarded to the consultant whose bid
offers  the  best  combination  of  technical  quality  and  cost-effectiveness.  Contracts  are  therefore  not  awarded
automatically on price, but in the light of a rounded assessment of the best economic value on offer.

(1)  OJ L 356, 31.12.1977.