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The role of Eco-labels in green public procurement. Paul Speight DG Environment D.3 European Commission. Structure of presentation. Legal situation under Directives Interpretative communication of 4 July 2001 Revision of public procurement Directives Helsinki bus case Practical situation
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The role of Eco-labels in green public procurement Paul Speight DG Environment D.3 European Commission
Structure of presentation • Legal situation under Directives • Interpretative communication of 4 July 2001 • Revision of public procurement Directives • Helsinki bus case • Practical situation • Situation of public purchasers • Advantages of using Eco-labels in procurement • Context - Eco-labels one tool amongst many
Commission ’s view on how to use Eco-labels legally • Set out in interpretative communication (4/7/01) • Eco-label criteria can be used to inspire technical specifications where appropriate • purchaser can use some or all of the criteria, they can cut and paste or just use as a starting point, etc • criteria that give an economic advantage to the contracting authority can be used at the award stage • Possession of an Eco-label certificate can be accepted as a means of proof (other means must also be accepted)
Developments in the legal situation • Revision of the public procurement Directives • Possibility of using Eco-label explicitly set out • Characteristics of appropriate Eco-labels defined • ‘ Helsinki bus ’ case (C-513/99) • Could modify the situation on the kinds of criteria that can be used at the award stage
Practical situation - advantages of Eco-labels • Public purchasers lack time and expertise • It is difficult to find or develop appropriate life cycle based environmental criteria • Use of Eco-labels saves time and provides purchaser with rational information that has been through a stakeholder process • Alternative to Eco-label criteria can sometimes be guesswork - worse for business • Using Eco-labels in green public procurement helps support the label
Use of Eco-label in context • One of several sources of information + methods of proof • EPDs, EMS, Databases, handbooks • Commission working on two such tools • Practical Handbook • Information database • We will know more about the use of Eco-labels when we have the results of a planned survey on green purchasing - start 2003