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News article17 May 2024

Belgian and Norwegian Event on Socially Responsible Public Procurement from April 18, 2024

Event on Socially Responsible Public Procurement

How can socially responsible public procurement contribute to securing decent working conditions? Is the EU framework in this field fit for purpose? 

These were among the questions posed this week, as the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 and the Norwegian Mission to the EU co-hosted an event on Socially Responsible Public Procurement.

Tore O. Sandvik, State Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, opened the seminar. He mentioned that public procurement has the potential to be one of the key pillars in fighting work-related crime and social dumping. Governments have a duty to ensure that the goods and services they procure are produced under conditions that respect certain labour standards, uphold dignity, and safeguard workers’ rights. Furthermore, strengthening the strategic and social dimensions of public procurement will help foster European competitiveness, he said. One of the most important issues when fighting social dumping and work-related crime, is having the necessary overview and control to follow-up contracts efficiently. To achieve this both Norway and Belgium have opted for limiting the number of levels in the subcontracting chain.

In the seminar Trine Amundsen, Team leader for Responsible Work Life in the City of Oslo, informed the audience about the key features of the “Oslo model.” The Oslo Model is a framework designed to battle work related crime and to promote focus on human rights in the city’s contracts. The results are good, and the measures have broad support among the suppliers! 

From the EU side, Merete Clausen, Director for Investment at DG GROW, the European Commission, emphasized the potential of public procurement in Europe, which amounts to as much as 20 times the EU budget. She referred to the report "Much more than a market" by Enrico Letta, published this week, which states that the public procurement market is crucial for realising the strategic goals of the European Union.