Serbia makes ‘green criterion’ mandatory for public procurement

11 months ago 35

Governments and state-owned enterprises in Serbia will have to consider environmental matters when purchasing goods, services and works from 1 January, meaning that purchasers in certain categories will no longer be able to use price as the sole criterion for awarding contracts.

As stated to journalists from the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED), including Euractiv, the selection of offers will be influenced by a set of ecological aspects such as the product’s life cycle, maintenance costs, water and electricity consumption, and the recycling of goods when they become waste.

A sub-law is expected to be enacted by the end of the year to specify these matters more closely, ensuring timely implementation, as mentioned.

Until now, Serbia’s Public Procurement Act has permitted purchasers to use quality criteria but has not required them to do so. According to an official report, although the trend towards using environmental standards has slightly improved, only 0.44% of the total number of procurement processes conducted in 2022 were classified as green.

In addition, the lowest price was the sole criterion for awarding contracts in 96% of cases, suggesting additional measures were needed.

“The Institute for Economics and Law, on behalf of NALED, conducted an analysis, revealing that for 13 out of 23 procurement subjects, mandatory application of green criteria could be prescribed without limiting competition in the market,” said Miloš Knežević, the director of the Institute for Economics and Law.

“The proposal is to apply initially green public procurement to items such as photocopy paper, sanitary ware, printers and scanners, computers and laptops, sanitary equipment, paper products, air conditioners, appliances, cleaning products, cleaning services, tires, furniture, paints, and varnishes,” Knežević added.

For purchasers, this will require more thorough preparation of the procurement process, including not only a good analysis of market conditions but also a detailed understanding of the sustainability and environmental impact of the subject of the procurement.

On the other hand, bidders will now include certificates of compliance with environmental standards, such as eco-labels and other certifications, as part of the tender documents.

This change is in line with EU best practice and the expectations of Serbian citizens, according to NALED.

(Jelena Jevtić | EURACTIV.rs)