Water Europe has published its latest Position Paper on Public Procurement, urging a shift from traditional cost-driven procurement models toward more outcomes-focused strategies that promote innovation, sustainability, and water efficiency across Europe.
Public procurement accounts for 14% of the EU’s GDP and governs nearly 50% of EU Structural and Investment Funds, making it a key driver in shaping a resilient and sustainable future. However, current challenges – including excessive administrative burden, limited SME participation, a complex and fragmented regulatory framework, and a lack of digitalisation – hinder its full potential.
To address these barriers, Water Europe outlines seven key recommendations to transform public procurement into a catalyst for water-smart solutions:
✅Prioritise non-price criteria to promote innovation in procurement strategies.~
✅ Integrate innovation considerations in procurement
✅ Foster long-term public-private partnerships for scaling transformative water partnerships
✅ Clarify ‘Buy European’ criteria, while ensuring access to the best available solutions
✅ Simplify processes for SMEs to ensure inclusivity and competitiveness.✅ Harmonise the legal framework applying to the water sector
✅ Develop agile frameworks for efficient public procurement in the water
sector.
By leveraging smart procurement, we can unlock powerful incentives for sustainable technologies, foster market innovation, and accelerate the transition to a Water-Smart Society.
Water Europe invites policymakers, stakeholders, and public authorities to read the full position paper and support the integration of these recommendations into future procurement practices.
Download the Position Paper here.
