WRITTEN QUESTION P-0706/01 by Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Public procurement.
Date: 2001-02-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: award of contract, drafting of EU law, environmental protection, interinstitutional relations (EU)

C 261 E/180

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

(2001/C 261 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0706/01

by Inger Sch(cid:246)rling (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(28 February 2001)

Subject: Public procurement

In 2000, the Commission presented two proposals for directives on public procurement: COM(2000) 275
and COM(2000) 276. These two directives, together with an interpretative document drawn up by the
Commission, make it virtually impossible to take account of environmental considerations in public
procurement procedures. For instance, it is not permitted to impose environmental requirements on the
production of goods that are the subject of public procurement. Nor is it permitted, once the tendering
procedure has closed, to give preference to a bid on the grounds that it is more environment-friendly. This
is completely at odds with the Treaties which expressly require the European Union to promote sustainable
development and take account of environmental factors. What is more, Parliament and the Council are
expected to consider the directives without having seen the interpretative document (which has not yet
been adopted by the Commission and the preliminary version of which is not publicly accessible). What
are the Council(cid:146)s views regarding the virtual exclusion of environmental considerations from public
procurement procedures? What is its position as regards the Council and Parliament being expected to
consider the directives without having access to the interpretative document?

Reply

(30 May 2001)

As the Honourable Member already indicates in her question, the Council and the Parliament have at
present not finished the first reading of the two Commission proposals for public procurement Directives.
For this reason, it is not possible for the Council to comment on individual substantive points still under
examination. The Honourable Member might wish to address to the Commission the part of her question
which relates to environmental requirements on the production of goods as well as preferences given to
products on environmental grounds after the tendering has been closed.

It should be pointed out, however, that according to information from the Commission, the Council may
expect the interpretative communication on public procurement and the environment to be published
soon enough still to be able to provide guidance for the discussions in the Council at first reading. It
the present
should nevertheless be recalled that the communication is merely intended to interpret
legislation and will not constitute a new Commission proposal.

(2001/C 261 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0707/01

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(28 February 2001)

Subject: Crisis in Montenegro

This week, the President of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, called a general election for 22 April with the
intention of holding a referendum on independence in June, should he win the election.

In the light of the European Union(cid:146)s endeavours to promote stability in the Balkans, which culminated in
the Balkans stabilisation process signed in November 2000, how will the Council respond to this fresh
crisis in the Balkans?