Fairtrade Italia
Fairtrade Italia rappresenta in Italia i Marchi di Certificazione FAIRTRADE del commercio equosolidale.
ID: 270711694542-55
Lobbying Activity
Response to Evaluation of the Public Procurement Directives
6 Mar 2025
Ref: Italian Fair Trade movements feedback to Public Procurement directives - Call of Evidence Date: 6 March 2025 Link:https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14427-Public-procurement-directives-evaluation_en The Italian network of Fair Trade organisations, represented by Fairtrade Italia and Equo Garantito, welcomes the European Parliament and Council Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement, but stresses the need for clearer references to Fair Trade and sustainability criteria at European level to promote ethical procurement and a fairer economy. Fairtrade Italia and Equo Garantito recognise that in Italy, the Directive has promoted sustainable procurement among local authorities, in particular thanks to the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM - Criteri Ambientali Minimi) set by the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), which also have as reference standards at European level the Directive 2014/24/EU. In fact, according to the latest report "I numeri del green public procurement in Italia" (2024) published by the Osservatorio Appalti Verdi, in 2023, 76% of the Regional purchasing bodies, 56% of the protected areas, 63% of the health institutions and 79% of the metropolitan areas participating in the research applied the Minimum Environmental Criteria. With specific reference to public catering, the Minimum Environmental Criteria introduced important technical specifications for sustainable procurement, with local, organic or Fair Trade products as mandatory choices. Figures on consumption provided by Municipalities supporting Fair Trade initiatives through the Italian "Fair Trade Towns" campaign (Territori Equosolidali campaign) show interesting results. For example, in the City of Padua (208,000 inhabitants), the consumption of Fair Trade bananas in school canteens reached 28,000 kilos in 2023-2024; likewise, in the schools of the city of Cesena (96,000 inhabitants), 25,000 kilos of organic and Fair Trade bananas were consumed in 2024. The introduction of Minimum Environmental Criteria in Italy has helped: Introducing sustainability benchmarks in a wide range of sectors, from construction to public events. The early integration of sustainability into procurement planning. Identify potentially clear, measurable targets such as increasing local, Fair Trade and organic food and reducing CO2 emissions. Use recognised certifications, such as organic and Fair Trade, as tools of guarantee to verify sustainability. However, for a variety of reasons, Minimum Environmental Criteria are still not used by all purchasers, and large-scale impact monitoring remains a challenge. Based on the experience of Fairtrade Italia and Equo Garantito with public administrations in Italy, among the critical issues that have emerged over the years in relation to the 2014 Directive should be noted: Price pressure: The reliance on the lowest price criterion creates a "race to the bottom", lack of binding social and environmental standards: Art. 2, 68 and 70 encourage social and environmental considerations but don't impose binding obligations, which limits their effectiveness. On the other hand, best practices from Italian Municipalities show that promoting social and environmental criteria is convenient and profitable for public authorities. Link to the subject matter: The Directive's requirement to link social and environmental criteria to the subject matter of the contract imitates Fair Trade considerations. Lack of policy coherence: The 2014 Directive does not sufficiently integrate recent EU policies such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and corporate sustainability. Difficulties in verifying sustainability impacts: The lack of robust methods for monitoring sustainability impacts makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of public procurement policies. In conclusion, sustainable public procurement has proven to be a powerful tool to promote sustainability, social
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