EU Procurement Rewrite Gives Food Its Own Article, but Sustainability Criteria Stay Optional

The proposed European Commission's Public Procurement Act includes a new provision specifically for food procurement, allowing public buyers to consider nutrition, animal welfare, and supply chain transparency when awarding contracts. This change aims to ensure that the food purchased by public institutions positively impacts health, farmers, communities, and the environment. However, while the new regulation gives authorities the permission to prioritize sustainability criteria in their procurement decisions, it remains optional rather than mandatory.

The proposal also introduces the Best Price-Quality Ratio as the default award criterion, replacing the lowest-price approach and potentially opening up institutional catering contracts to smaller producers. Despite these positive changes, ProVeg International believes that the sustainability provisions are still discretionary and lack clear criteria, urging for stronger requirements to make healthier, more sustainable, and diverse food procurement the norm.