The main goal of the debate held by Ministers was to prepare the way to reach an agreement on the main principles of the reform at the Competitiveness Council in May, with the final purpose of getting the reform approved in co-legislation with the European Parliament before the end of 2012. The debate focused on the new general legal framework, more specifically in the degree of flexibility that should apply in the use of competitive procedures with negotiation and the rules for certain categories of services: social, cultural, health, etc.
 

The Competitiveness Council meeting celebrated a debate on the next reform of public procurement policy on 20 of February. It was the first ministerial debate since the presentation by the Commission in December 2011 of the proposals for a major overhaul of public procurement rules across the EU. The modernisation of this policy is one of the three priorities areas included in the Single Market Act discussed by Ministers at the meeting.

The debate focused on the new general legal framework, specially in the degree of flexibility that should apply in the use of competitive procedures with negotiation, and the rules for certain categories of services. With regard to the first point, a majority of delegations stated that it should be possible a larger use of negotiated procedures in public contracts, and that certain safeguards should also be put in place in order to guarantee equal treatment for tenders. Some other delegations would prefer a limited use to this procedure in accordance with the Commission proposal. On the rules for certain categories of services, many of delegations emphasised that the new system should reach the right balance between promoting efficiency through competition in contract awards and delivering on the objective of lighter public procurement rules for certain services.

In addition, Ministers also discussed the reform of accounting rules, with a specific focus on a proposal for transparency on payments made to governments, and the improvement of SME's access to finance through the establishment of an EU passport for the managers of venture capital funds and social entrepreneurship funds, which are also priority areas of the Single Market Act.