Transferring experience with GPP in Slovakia to Ukraine

Description

 

Background:

 

Under the coordination of Slovak Centre for Communication and Development (SCCD) and co-financed by the Slovak Development Agency “SlovakAid”, NGO GoLOCAL has started the project “Transferring Experience with Green Public Procurement in Slovakia to Ukraine”, which is about to develop a sustainable approach in public procurement.

 

Slovakia was one of the first Central European countries to adopt an act on public procurement in 2006, establishing a regulatory framework in line with EU guidelines. Slovakia is further characterized by its relatively centralized procurement system. The Procurement Directives, that was legislated in 2014, enable public authorities to take environmental considerations into account. This applies during pre-procurement, as part of the procurement process itself, and in the performance of the contract. Rules regarding exclusion and selection aim to ensure a minimum level of compliance with the environmental law by contractors and sub-contractors. Techniques such as life-cycle costing, a specification of sustainable production processes, and use of environmental award criteria are available to help contracting authorities identify environmentally preferable bids.

 

Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a process whereby public authorities seek to procure goods, services and works with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle when compared to goods, services and works with the same primary function that would otherwise be procured.¹

 

It is known, that public authorities are major consumers, so by using their purchasing power to choose goods and services with lower impacts on the environment, they can make an important contribution to sustainable consumption and production.

 

Green purchasing is also about influencing the market. By promoting and using GPP, public authorities can provide the industry with real incentives for developing green technologies and products. In some sectors, public purchasers command a significant share of the market (e.g. public transport and construction, health services and education) and so their decisions have considerable impact.

 

GPP may also provide financial savings for public authorities – especially if you consider the full life-cycle costs of a contract and not just the purchase price. Purchasing energy-efficient or water-saving products, for example, can help to reduce utility bills significantly. Reducing hazardous substances in products can cut disposal costs. Authorities who implement GPP will be better equipped to meet evolving environmental challenges, for example, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or move towards a more circular economy.

Goal:

To promote the idea of Green Public Procurement in Ukraine by providing evidence of GPP’s positive impact based on the Slovak experience. The project will also help public authorities to successfully plan and implement GPP.

Implementation:

In order to fulfill the project’s goal, it is planned to:

 

1. Conduct an analysis of Current state of GPP in Ukraine;
2. Compose the recommendations for GPP introduction in Ukraine based on the legislation of the country and on the Slovakian experience;
3. Raise awareness on GPP among public authorities and citizens of Ukraine;
4. Conduct training for procurement officers of public authorities on how to implement GPP;
5. Conduct a seminar on GPP for all interested parties.

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¹ (COM (2008) 400) “Public procurement for a better environment”