Green Public Procurement - a dynamic policy field in need of better data Robert Kaukewitsch European Commission, DG Environment GPP Coordinator Working party on “Environmental Accounts” 29 March 2011

What is Green Public Procurement? "…a process whereby public authorities seek to procure goods, services and works with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle when compared to goods, services and works with the same primary function that would otherwise be procured.“

Communication Public Procurement for a Better Environment (2008) Political target: 50% of tendering procedures to be “green” by 2010 GPP criteria for 10 priority products / services (now 18) Legal/ Operational guidance: GPP Training Toolkit Monitoring – develop indicators

EU GPP Criteria Product Groups Construction, Electricity, Cleaning products and services, Textiles, Food and catering services, Furniture, Office IT equipment, Paper, Gardening products and services, Transport Windows, Thermal insulation, Wall Panels, Hard Floor coverings, Cogenerations (CHP), Road Construction and Traffic Signs, Street Lighting and Traffic signals, Mobile phones Core criteria: address the key environmental impacts Comprehensive criteria: to purchase the best environmental products available on the market

Mandatory requirements set at EU level -Directive on the promotion of clean & energy efficient road transport vehicles (2009) -Energy Star Regulation (2008) -Energy end-use efficiency and energy services Directive (2006), exemplary role for public sector -Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2010) exemplary role -Energy Labelling Directive (2010), exemplary role

More legislation in the near future? Ongoing (since January 2011): Public consultation on the modernisation of public procurement policies, including the question of the integration of other policy goals (environment, social, innovation) – legislative proposals expected for early 2012 Energy Efficiency procurement requirements following the Energy Effiency Plan (adopted 4th of March 2011) – legislative proposals expected for mid-2011

Very dynamic developments in the Member States GPP National Action Plans  21 Member States have already adopted a National Action Plan (NAP) or an equivalent document  3 Member States in the process of preparation Partially more ambitious targets than the EU Partially identical or similar criteria, partially not Legal obligations: Portugal (framework agreements), Germany (for wood and Life Cycle Costing) Monitoring undertaken/foreseen in 11 Member States

Status in Member States *The latest study (2009) found that the seven most advanced Member States (UK, DK, FI, NL, AU, DE, SE) have on average 45 % of the total value and 55 % of the total number of contracts in 2006/07 – green, where ‘green’ means compliant with endorsed common core GPP criteria. * 2010 target of 50% will be monitored in 2011

A dire need of better data… Monitoring of GPP throughout the EU is very difficult. GPP widely used, but with different  terminologies (product and service groups)  criteria  national/regional/local ambition levels  monitoring methodologies

A dire need of better data for better policies We would like to know how much public spending in the EU is green and in which sectors, how countries do compare, which policies are successful, if national or EU criteria are being used, If there are distortions of competition, If there are additional burdens for suppliers, if harmonisation is needed, If more ambitious policies are feasible. Would you help us?

Thank you!