Coalition of 26 Groups Urges EU to Mandate Green Rules for €2.5 Trillion Procurement
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Aug 18
Coalition of 26 Groups Urges EU to Mandate Green Rules for €2.5 Trillion Procurement
3 articles · Updated · Euronews · Aug 18
Summary
A coalition representing more than 11,500 companies asked the European Commission on Aug. 18 to make low-carbon criteria mandatory in EU public procurement ahead of a Sept. 9 rules revision.
The groups say public authorities spend about €2.5 trillion a year—roughly 16% of EU GDP—but that buying power still favors lowest-price bids over cleaner steel, construction materials and technologies.
Their letter calls for phasing out lowest-price-only awards in favor of the “most economically advantageous tender,” giving contracting authorities more room to weigh emissions alongside cost.
The coalition also wants Brussels to use existing EU carbon-market and border-tax methodologies to compare emissions, introduce core minimum criteria progressively, and block suppliers tied to labor abuses.
The push lands as EU lawmakers debate the Industrial Accelerator Act, where procurement rules and “Made in Europe” preferences have become part of the bloc’s wider industrial and decarbonization strategy.