News 2025

On 23 April, FIEC took part in the social partners’ Hearing on Public Procurement organised by the European Commission. During the hearing, FIEC Director for Social Affairs, Christine Le Forestier, insisted on the role of public procurement in the construction sector in terms of competitiveness. She pointed out that, in order to properly reward innovation, quality and sustainability, bids should be assessed according to the concept of Most Economically Advantageous Tender, rather than on the lowest price only.

Moreover, abnormally low tenders – due to illegal State aid or caused by the non-respect of EU environmental and social rules – shall be detected according to a strengthened methodology and systematically rejected. In order to make public procurement more attractive for construction companies at a time of high inflation, the use of price revision clauses shall be generalised.

Christine Le Forestier also mentioned that, in order to make sure that construction SMEs keep benefitting from public procurement (i.e., in cases where the division into lots is not possible), there should be no restriction imposed to subcontracting at the EU level. This matter is better dealt with at national level, depending on the sector specificities and market structure.

This hearing was part of the overall evaluation exercise of the 2014 Public Procurement Directives undertaken by that the European Commission, in view of a possible legislative revision, to be presented in 2026.

Read or download FIEC Position Paper on Public Procurement vai this link.