Public procurement: Gualtieri’s proposal to unblock construction sites and protect jobs in the EU is approved

Brussels – More simplicity, less bureaucracy and procurement closely linked to the European Union’s social and climate objectives. This is the core of the opinion approved today by a large majority in the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions, with the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, as rapporteur. He described the result as “strong and clear,” with all his compromise amendments winning the day, offering Europe a compass for improving the rules of the game.

“I am very satisfied because this vote also gives a good result to the Italian Procurement Code,” explained the Mayor of Rome, emphasising that “many of the proposals approved today are inspired by the recent Italian regulatory review and the Protocol for the 2025 Jubilee. The political message is clear: “the lowest price can no longer be the only criterion for awarding a public contract. While it may still make sense for standardised purchases, in the vast majority of cases, it is quality that must make the difference.”

This is not a technical issue for experts, but a colossal economic game. Every year, around 14 per cent of the European Union’s GDP is spent on public procurement, 45 per cent of which is managed by local and regional authorities: it is mayors and governors who build infrastructure, provide essential services and guide production chains. 

The opinion approved today places cities and regions at the centre of the future revision of European directives scheduled for 2026. The proposal shifts the emphasis from bureaucratic quibbles to the principle of results, rewarding timeliness and real value for citizens. Gualtieri’s recipe focuses on greater digitalisation as a lever for efficiency and on reducing regulatory uncertainty. The text also calls for greater attention to the contract execution phase and, above all, to the protection of workers to combat wage dumping. Through clear rules on subcontracting, the aim is to ensure fair competition that is not played out at the expense of workers, but on the basis of companies’ capacity for innovation.