News 2026

On 9 September, the European Commission presented its Public Procurement Act proposal, which would replace the three existing Procurement Directives with a single Regulation, and aims to offer a major opportunity to reduce paperwork and reward quality, provided the new rules work in practice. The proposal now goes to the European Parliament and the EU Council.

FIEC supports simpler procedures, fair competition and greater scope for innovation.
FIEC continues to favour a framework based on Directives, allowing national flexibility and taking account of construction needs. The proposed Regulation requires careful assessment, particularly where it interacts with national administrative and contract law. Its success must be measured by a real reduction in administrative work for companies and public buyers.

Digitalisation offers a major opportunity. FIEC strongly supports a single European portal, connected systems and reusable electronic business credentials. Submitting information once and reusing it would reduce paperwork and make contracts across borders easier to access. Implementation will require functioning systems, protection of confidential information and practical support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

FIEC also sees positive directions in better market consultation, alternative technical solutions and the rejection of unjustified abnormally low tenders. Its assessment with member federations will examine subcontracting, exclusion rules and awards to publicly controlled entities. Transparent competition, balanced risk allocation and workable price-adjustment mechanisms remain essential for delivering buildings and infrastructure.

With the experts from our member federations we will now examine in the detail the proposal of the Commission and take the appropriate initiatives, in order to ensure that the final outcome effectively delivers a more simple and efficient framework.

Read or download the FIEC Press Release at this link.