In the European Commission’s 2024–2029 political guidelines, President von der Leyen announced a revision of the EU public procurement directives aimed at strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy, supporting EU added value, and securing the supply of vital technologies, products, and services. The revision is also expected to modernise and simplify procurement rules, positioning public procurement as a more effective tool for strategic investment, innovation, and competitiveness. 

To discuss these developments, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, on behalf of the European Commission, hosted the EU Clusters Talk: “Revising the EU Public Procurement Directives: A Strategic Tool for Europe’s Competitiveness” on 11 February, from 08:30 to 9:45 CET. This session outlined the key objectives and policy directions of the forthcoming revision, explored its implications for European industry, SMEs, and contracting authorities, and presented how clusters view the revision of the Public Procurement Directives, including how they believe the future legal framework should be designed in order to act as a driver of innovation, resilience, and industrial transformation.

Speakers included: 

• Henning Ehrenstein, Head of Unit Public Procurement, DG GROW, European Commission
• Ester Davanzo, Senior European Affairs Coordinator, France Digitale
• Jorge González, Director, Ticbiomed
• Yannis Zormpas, Principal, Boston Consulting Group

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