European Parliament event on socially responsible procurement

An event on socially responsible public procurement (SRPP), organised by Swedwatch and the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO), and co-hosted by HIVA-KU Leuven, took place at the European Parliament on 15 July.

The meeting brought together policymakers, academics, civil society and SMEs to discuss how public procurement can contribute more strongly to sustainability, social rights and fair access for smaller businesses. The event took place ahead of the revision of the EU public procurement directives.

Some highlights from the discussions:

• Concrete examples from cities and countries: Barcelona showed how training and reserved contracts help SMEs access tenders, and in Italy, Fair Trade suppliers supply millions of ethical products to public institutions.
• Research insights: HIVA researchers highlighted that only a small proportion of tenders contain meaningful social clauses, and voluntary measures prove insufficient.
• International dimension: A case study from Pakistan illustrated serious labour rights violations in supply chains linked to European tenders.

The event brought together a wide range of voices, including representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, local authorities and social enterprises.

Read the accompanying policy brief with insights from five years of HIVA research on SRPP here.