Eco-labels and Green Public Procurement. A sustainable relationship. DG Environment

Transcription

1 Eco-labels and Green Public Procurement A sustainable relationship DG Environment

2 What = Green Public Procurement? Public authorities buying goods, services and works with tax payer s s money Subject to Rules to ensure best value for money, equal treatment of bidders, transparency of specifications and criteria Best value = prize, quality, aesthetic value etc.. can also include ENVIRONMENTAL value

3 Why Green Public Procurement? 14 à 16 % of EU GDP - big consumers Set the example snowball effect Incentive for Environmental Technologies Win-wins possible : politically => EU citizens greatly value a healthy environment financially (LCC approach)

4 GPP at International level OECD => Recommendation of WSSD : Plan of Implementation calls for Sustainable Development in Decision- making => Public procurement policies that encourage environmentally sound goods and services US, Canada, Japan : frontrunners in GPP!

5 GPP in EU! => IPP Communication in Integrated Product Policy of 2003 focussed on Life cycle approach with special attention for market based tools : Eco-label label,, GPP National Action Plans on GPP by end 2006! CE and MS to cooperate to further strenghten GPP

6 GPP and ETAP Environmental Technologies Action plan links sustainable consumption and competition GPP = priority action Report on implementation of ETAP => need for National Action plans on GPP!

7 How does it work? By introducing environmental elements in the procurement process => subject matter i.e. wooden chairs from sustainably harvested forests technical specifications i.e. printer with two- side printing option selection criteria i.e. certificate of compliance with environmental standard award criteria i.e. energy efficiency of proposed building contract clauses i.e. transport by train

8 How does it work? Public procurement directives (2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC) explicitly recognize all these possibilities for buying «green», subject to respect of principles of Equal treatment Transparency Link between requirements imposed upon bid(der) and subject matter of the contract mutual recognition of products and services meeting equivalent standards/criteria

9 GPP and eco-labels The Public Procurement Directives (2004/17/ EC and 2004/18/EC) allow public purchasers to use the underlying specifications of eco-labels when defining performance-based or functional environmental requirements, provided that: the specifications are appropriate for defining the characteristics of the supplies or services covered by the contract;

10 GPP and eco-labels the requirements for the label are based on scientific information; the eco-labels are adopted with the participation of all stakeholders, such as government bodies, consumers, manufacturers, distributors and environmental organisations; they are accessible to all interested parties. The EU Eco-label meets these requirements

11 GPP and eco-labels Underlying technical specifications can be cut/pasted into tender documents Eco-label can be recognised as a (non( non- exclusive) proof of compliance with technical specifications i.e. : Europen eco-label mostly for products : refrigerators, computers, paper..

12 How to do this in practice? The online catalogue Green Store locates all eco-labelled products per country per category Currently available in 11 languages 250,000 hits per month Thus, you can directly know the size of the market of potential suppliers.

13 Some examples EU eco-label for light bulbs prescribes minimum life-span of hours => could be set as a minimal technical specification

14 Further promotion of GPP and Eco-label CE has published a Handbook on GPP - August 2004 (SEC(2004/1050)

15 Further promotion of GPP and Eco-label Subchapter on Eco-label Translated into all other EU languages! Website on GPP, many useful information and links (including( Ecolabel) t/gpp/

16 Further promotion of GPP and eco-label All training programmes events on GPP make the link between GPP and eco-labels i.e. Major awareness-raising raising event on GPP for new MS (under( TAIEX programme) on September 05 Presentation on eco- label and its relation with GPP Other events : October 05 in London; April 06 in Graz, Austria

17 Further promotion Environmental database containing basic environmental information for some 100 products and service groups nes.htm#database Basic information, refers to national and European eco-labels labels, where they exist To be complemented with concrete results of Service contract aimed at identifying good GPP practices (including( different levels of environmental performance)(in 2006)

18 Further promotion CE seeks to help MS to set up Action Plans for GPP, for first time by end 2006 Action plans should be based on assessment of current situation, set ambitious objectives for situation in 3 years time and state measures taken to achieve those targets Eco-labels are promoted as an easy instrument for implementing GPP and achieving those targets

19 Further promotion CE has concluded a contract to Survey actual situation on GPP in all 25 MS First results at event in London October Communicate good practices at event in Austria on 3-43 April 2006 Good practices should include concrete examples of «eco-label» specifications used in tender procedures

20 Further promotion of GPP CE is working together with Member State representatives to foster GPP and eco-label policies Advisory Committee on Public Procurement ETAP working group IPP working group Eco-label working groups

21 Further promotion of GPP Through networking with many European and national associations of local and regional authorities Eurocities, EIC s (Euro Info Centres) ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) ACRR (Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling) CEMR (Council( of European Municipalities and Regions) Others => Baltic sea group, «Partners on Innovation», «Regions for Change», «Networking for Lisbon», «Green innovation in Action»..

22 Further promotion of GPP Through distribution of leaflets «Green Procurement is easy with the Flower» Eco-label brochures for consumers i.e. brochure on office equipment and supplies

23 Further promotion of GPP Idea for future = to make available easily understandable information on life cycle cost of products If public purchasers include not only up- front market price but also whole life costs in award criteria, they will notice that buying green may actually also save money! Eco-label criteria could possibly include life cycle cost elements?

24 addresses European Commission Environment Directorate-General Directorate G Sustainable development and integration 1049 Brussels Belgium mailto:jill.michielssen@ :jill.michielssen@cec.eu.intcec.eu.int