The European Commission will reform the bidding procedures to protect production in the EU

Stephane Sejourne, the European Commissioner for Industry, announced that in September he will present a reform of the bidding procedures aimed at protecting production in the European Union against unfair competition.

At an economic forum in Aix-en-Provence, he emphasized that 30% of the award criteria for European tenders will focus on innovation, resilience, and decarbonization, not just price. These reforms are part of a reorientation of European industrial policy, influenced by unfair competition from China and the tariff policies of the United States. Sejourne highlighted the importance of integrating industrial policy into competition policy, considering that the EU public procurement markets are worth 2 trillion euros.

He also mentioned that there will be obligations for European production for automotive and clean energy technologies, as well as requirements for vehicles purchased with public funds to have a significant percentage of components manufactured in the EU. Without these measures, it is estimated that the proportion of European components in vehicles manufactured in the EU could drastically decrease by 2035.