EU Launches E-procurement Standardisation Strategy
August 2, 2011
A plan to create uniform e-procurement processes across the EU has won "considerable support", the European Commission (EC) has said.
Publishing the responses to its e-procurement consultation, the EC found 53 per cent were in favour of making standardised e-procurement mandatory at an EU level, while 42 per cent were opposed to the idea. The remainder did not choose either option.
In a statement, the EC said: "There is broad support for EU-level action, including the use of legislation, to facilitate the use of standardised e-procurement solutions. A small majority of respondents support the imposition of EU-level requirements to use e-procurement."
The publication of the 77 responses to the consultation, which ran from October 2010 until 31January this year, also revealed that almost 60 per cent who submitted comments consider "overcoming inertia and fear" to be the biggest barrier to the take-up of e-procurement and to cross-border participation in online buying. Other barriers were the "lack of standards" and "onerous technical requirements".