Incentivising responsible business conduct through public procurement

Public procurement is a powerful tool for promoting responsible business conduct (RBC), particularly human rights and environmental due diligence. Although EU procurement rules allow contracting authorities to incorporate RBC considerations, their use remains inconsistent across Member States and often depends on local capacity, legal certainty, and political support. 

Authorities mainly rely on contract performance conditions, while stronger measures such as exclusion grounds, award criteria, and active contract management are used less frequently. As a result, progress has largely been driven by proactive authorities and peer learning rather than by the EU framework itself, highlighting opportunities to better align procurement rules with evolving EU sustainability legislation.

A new report explores responsible business conduct in public procurement and examines how it can be better aligned with the evolving EU legislative framework. Access the report here.