Conference topic and background

Innovation is needed if the EU is to meet its targets for competitiveness and growth. Public procurement of innovation offers untapped potential. Equally as important is the possibility to reform public procurement processes and make them leaner, simpler and more user-friendly.

Implementation of the new public procurement directives provides the opportunity to rethink the way public procurement is organised in EU countries to make it more efficient and effective, and provide better value for money.

The new legislative framework allows more flexible ways of using public demand to bring products to the market. It also offers the possibility to use public procurement strategically to pursue other important policy objectives, whether environmental, social, or those related to promoting innovation in the European economy.

It also pushes for innovative procedures and tools. For example, joint public procurement or the use of the European Single Procurement Document. This means lower costs for both public buyers and suppliers, and new opportunities for European enterprises through easier access to public procurement procedures at national and EU level.

This conference is organised by the European Commission.

Date and time

Wednesday, 26 October 2016.

Registration will start at 8.00. The conference programme will run from 9.00 to 17.00.