Environmental quality management systems in public procurement regarding wastewater infrastructure

Abstract

The application of environmental criteria in public procurement should be considered in terms of implementing the principle of sustainable development. Hence, dissemination of environmental criteria in public procurement is one of the strategic objectives of the European Union, enabling the improvement of environment.There are specific solutions that allow the contracting authority to take environmental aspects into account while evaluating offers and contractors educationse.g. Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). The contracting authority has the option of requiring the contractor to demonstrate the implementation of environmental management measures or systems. During the procurement procedure, the contracting authority may require from the contractor to demonstrate the implementation of environmental management measures or systems and verify that the contractor’s existing quality system guarantees the proper performance of the contract or minimizes negative environmental impacts or whether the proposed products meet the requirements of certain standards or technical specifications.To confirm that the offered supplies, services or works meet the specific requirements, the contracting authority may demand specific documents. The legal system, indicating the executive regulations of the Public Procurement Law, provide such opportunity.The purpose of the paper is to indicate how the contracting authority can apply environmental requirements at the stage of preparing tender documentation for the construction and extension of waste water treatment plants and wastewater infrastructure.The article presents the original research carried out in dozens of municipalities, which in 2009−2015 carried out public sewage infrastructure contracts.The results of the studies indicated that the contracting authorities generally did not require the contractor to implement environmental management systems and did not indicate such criteria when selecting contractors.