“ Working towards national Action Plans for Green public procurement DG Environment

What = Green Public Procurement ? Public authorities buying goods, services and works with tax payer’s money Subject to Rules to ensure best value for money, equal treatment of bidders, transparency of specifications and criteria ‘Best value’ = prize, quality, aesthetic value etc.. can also include ENVIRONMENTAL value

Why Green Public Procurement? 14 à 16 % of EU GDP - big consumers Set the example – snowball effect Incentive for Environmental Technologies Win-wins possible : politically => EU citizens greatly value a healthy environment financially (LCC approach)

Some concrete GPP examples City of Wien => mandatory use of environmental criteria catalogue => total value of contracts covered = 5 billion € City of Bonn => procurement of tropical timber only if certified as originating from sustainable forest management (FSC or equivalent) City of Kolding, DK => 92 % of all framework agreements are « green » (2005)

GPP in the EU Actual promotion of GPP started in 2003 with IPP Communication Life cycle approach to improve environmental performance of products Cooperation of all stakeholders Public authorities identified for high potential Member States are recommended to set up National Action Plans on GPP by end 2006 Improve environmental performance through life-cycle approach Requires involvement of all stakeholders : government, industry, consumers .. Special attention for market based tools such as Eco-labels and Green Public Procurement Idea endorsed by Council in its Conclusions on IPP

GPP and ETAP Kok Report on Lisbon Review => MS to draw up National Action plans for GPP! ETAP = fully integrated in Lisbon strategy => boost competitiveness - reduce pressure on natural resources by stimulating market for Environmental Technologies Identifies over 20 actions => GPP is priority action Report on implementation of ETAP early 2005 => calls for National Action plans on GPP – endorsed by EP in its conclusions

Working towards National Action Plans for GPP Action plans should Be based on assessment of current situation Set ambitious objectives for situation in 3 years State measures taken to achieve those targets

Working towards National Action Plans for GPP To help MS, the CE has concluded a service contract to propose a definition and measurement tool for GPP display figures on the actual situation on GPP in all 25 MS propose political aspiration levels for GPP propose more detailed targets per product group/organisation to support these aspirational levels propose measurement tools and indicators to support these targets and enable future benchmarking

National Action plans on GPP First results were presented in London at UK presidency event – made available on website http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/gpp/ 7 “front runners” => Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK => 40-70% of published tenders during the past year included environmental criteria Other 18 countries => less than 30% of “green” tenders

Factors enabling GPP Political and managerial support - GPP programmes Information sources (websites with “green” criteria) Training programmes Promote specific purchasing techniques performance-based requirements life-cycle-cost as award criterion “green” variants Implementation of environmental management systems by the procuring organisations

Most suitable products and services Based on availability of clear environmental criteria and/or high environmental impact Sewage, sanitation and disposal services Paper printing services office machinery Furniture food products and catering services construction work transport equipment electrical machinery and medical devices energy

National Action Plans for GPP Final Report will be presented in Graz, AU, April 2006 and will propose List of products most suitable for « greening » in public procurement Good practices, including different levels of GPP (going from simple win-win situations to more complicated Technology procurement) Information on Life cycle cost Recommendations for future

EU activities to promote GPP Networking with Member States => information - guidance Awareness-raising and training Handbook on GPP in all EU languages! Environmental database Leaflet - guidelines on use of eco-label criteria in GPP « knowledge base » website on GPP

Working with the Member States towards national action plans for GPP Advisory Committee on public procurement = a « comitology » committee Assists Commission in field of Public Procurement legislation (adoption/interpretation) = KEY for National Action Plans on GPP => members have the power/capacity to propose/draft these action plans CE has sent Guidelines for MS to set up Action Plans

Working towards National Action Plans for GPP Guidelines Sketch the political and legal background Point at examples of MS where proper legal framework for GPP exists, including mandatory targets or obligations Link GPP to other policy tools, such as eco-label and EMAS Link GPP to recent legislation in the field of energy efficiency in buildings and eco-design of energy-consuming products and the draft end-ue efficiency and energy services directives

Working towards National Action Plans for GPP Guidelines also underline the need for Training concerted action between Member States, regional and local authorites => provides links to useful networks Provides links to GPP websites referring to technical specifications useful in GPP Sets a provisional timetable => draft action plans by Spring 2006

Some examples of National strategies for GPP Netherlands => Action programme setting targets (political commitment - regular monitoring) By 2010 => 50 % overall GPP (doubling current level) - 100 % at government level Tools : website, events, training, database containing environmental information for 32 products (including 3 levels of “greenness”) Belgium => Working group including all levels of administration (national, regional, local) to set up national action plan - 2006 Website with « green » criteria Mandatory GPP targets for vehicles, ICT, timber (federal level) Improve environmental performance through life-cycle approach Requires involvement of all stakeholders : government, industry, consumers .. Special attention for market based tools such as Eco-labels and Green Public Procurement Idea endorsed by Council in its Conclusions on IPP

National strategies for GPP Sweden draft national action plan being finalised www.eku.nu = tool for GPP managed by the Swedish environmental Council, a company gathering public (State, Local authorities, County councils) and private stakeholders (Confederation of Swedish enterprises) Develops/continually updates product criteria on the basis of scientific studies, involving all stakeholders, setting different levels of ambition, financed centrally, promoted with public purchasers Improve environmental performance through life-cycle approach Requires involvement of all stakeholders : government, industry, consumers .. Special attention for market based tools such as Eco-labels and Green Public Procurement Idea endorsed by Council in its Conclusions on IPP

Working towards National Action Plans for GPP Support of IPP working group members = needed => to convince relevant authorities in the Member States of the need to adopt National Action Plans for GPP

addresses European Commission Environment Directorate-General Directorate G – Sustainable development and integration 1049 Brussels Belgium mailto:jill.michielssen@cec.eu.int http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/gpp/