Public procurement is the process by which public agencies and other public entities purchase goods and services. To ensure transparency, fairness, and efficiency in these transactions, relevant agencies implement specific rules and regulations. These rules aim to prevent corruption, waste, and discrimination in favour of domestic suppliers or providers, while promoting competition and ensuring the best value for public money.

Under Article 1(2)(e) of the CEFTA 2006, CEFTA Parties committed to “Provide fair conditions of competition affecting foreign trade and investment and gradually open the government procurement markets of the Parties”.

The CEFTA 2006 contains a dedicated section on ‘Government Procurement’ under which CEFTA Parties committed to ensure that the procurement of its entities takes place in a transparent and reasonable manner, treats all suppliers of the other Parties equally, and is based on the principle of open and effective competition (Article 35(1) of the CEFTA 2006) and to open their respective government procurement markets so that “suppliers of the other Parties are granted a treatment no less favourable than that accorded to domestic goods, services and suppliers” (Article 35(2) of the CEFTA 2006).

CEFTA Parties shall provide Party-specific information on public procurement.