The focus of the new model of European directives on public procurement procedures is to be carried out by electronic means as public procurement itself to be made “electronic”. It provides that each Member State of the EU should fulfil its commitments for the introduction of electronic tendering at latest by the mid of 2018.
E-procurement means the use of electronic communication in public sector procurement of supplies and services or tenderings for other activities. The electronic procedure can significantly simplify the work of businesses, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises by increasing transparency and access to tender procedure, including, by reducing the costs of participation. The experience in the EU and beyond shows that the use of e-procurement increased the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the public procedures.
Gradually switchover to fully electronic procurement is part of the objectives set out in the Strategy “Europe 2020” and the general trend, promoted by the European Commission through various initiatives and documents, including at the level of EU legislation.
