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New EU directives

In March this year, the European Union issued two new directives – one on public procurement and one on concessions – which aim at the “implementation of environmental, social inclusion and innovation policies.” They influence a significant economic market, as public contracts within the scope of the European directives account for 425 billion Euro annually (in 2011, for instance, this represented 3.4% of the EU’s GDP).

Within the procurement and concessions market, social services are now subject to a simplified regime in terms of the tendering rules which take into consideration special requirements such as accessibility, continuity and the needs of different user groups. For social services, the tendering threshold is now at 750 000 Euro, and the focus in service provision is more explicitly on quality and sustainability.

The members of the European Social Network (ESN), notably local authorities, will be affected by these changes; in order to better assess their implications, ESN surveyed among selected members from nine EU countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Despite the very different national systems, what the social services departments at the local level often have in common is the need to balance out price and quality considerations and the need for more flexibility in the application of the rules.

ESN members welcome the new directives because they bring important clarifications on complex questions (e.g. criteria for specific tenders) and provide more flexibility in procurement through the application of more customised procedures. Overall, they see the two directives as a ’step in the right direction’, but consider them a gradual reform rather than a structural change; they also expect further clarification through the transposition process of the two directives into national law.

For more information about the two directives and how they are being received by local social services, read the full analysis.

Many thanks to our members who shared their insights with us:

Association of Flemish Directors of Social Services (Belgium), Municipality of Sofia (Bulgaria), Czech Union of Towns and Municipalities (Czech Republic), Association of Directors of Social Services in Finland (Finland), National Association of Directors of Social Care and Health Departments (France), German Association for Public and Private Welfare (Germany), Association of Directors of Swedish Social Welfare Services (Sweden), Autonomous Community of Galicia (Spain), Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (UK)