The European Commission today published an evaluation of the EU Public Procurement Directives, which were adopted in 2014. These rules aim to ensure fair access to public procurement for all businesses, secure better value for taxpayers’ money, strengthen transparency to prevent corruption and encourage more sustainable and innovative public spending.

The evaluation shows that the Directives have partially met their intended objectives. In particular, it found that: (i) the Directives did not lead to greater legal clarity or flexibility, while new sector specific rules have made the system more complex; (ii) transparency has improved and the total value of procurement contracts has doubled – however, corruption risks remain and data gaps make it harder to assess compliance; (iii) competition presents a mixed picture: although the average number of bids per tender has decreased, large contracts continue to attract strong competition and SMEs perform well, winning 71% of contracts; (iv) Direct  cross-border participation within the EU remains limited, while concerns about third-country participation in certain sectors are growing; and (v) the uptake of green, social and innovative procurement is progressing but uneven across the EU.

Public authorities in the EU spend around 15% of GDP a year on procurement – in sectors such as energy, transport, healthcare, and education. EU procurement rules apply to as much as quarter of this expenditure, with an average annual value of €616 billion, three times the size of the EU budget. These rules are therefore crucial to ensure that public funds are spent efficiently, transparently and in line with Europe’s strategic objectives.

This evaluation marks the first step towards revising the 2014 Public Procurement Directives. President von der Leyen has announced this revision as part of the EU’s strategic agenda, including the introduction of “made in EU” criteria for certain strategic sectors. Executive Vice-President Séjourné underlined the enormous potential of public procurement as part of the European investment strategy to boost Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and economic security.

You can find more information on the result of the Commission's evaluation online: https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=SWD(2025)332&lang=en