Local public procurement regulations: The case of Italy

Abstract

Regional and local authorities award 54% of the public works contracts submitted to the Authority for the Supervision of Public Contracts. This paper analyses the regulations adopted in the period 2000–2010 in all Italian regions and a sample of provinces and municipalities and shows how highly pervasive they are. In some cases they had positive effects that served the specific needs of the territory; in others, an anti-competitive orientation prevailed, with extra costs for the contracting authorities and less efficient allocation of resources. The paper's policy recommendations include: (i) greater coordination of reforms between the central and the local levels; (ii) an enhanced role for the sector authorities; (iii) improvements in national regulations so that the regional and local authorities have less of an interest in modifying them; (iv) greater transparency and better information quality.