EU Public Procurement Policy: Crisis-induced Harmonization as Driver for European Integration?

Since 2008, Europe has been facing an economic crisis with considerable impacts on all EU member states. The enduring crisis situation has been an exogenous trigger for policy changes and has impacted different EU policy fields. Studies have examined the crisis effects on the European internal market by focusing predominantly on financial market regulations. One area has been neglected so far. The regulation of public procurement is one core driver for competitiveness and growth in the member states. Public procurement has become a ‘policy strategy instrument’ and is considered key for lifting the EU out of the crisis. It accounts for approximately 14% of EU GDP involving a population of over 250.000 contracting public authorities. In 2014, new EU rules were adopted to reshape the European public procurement procedures. The public procurement regime reflects two opposite dynamics: the strengthening of the internal market by harmonization and the orientation on national priorities. By analyzing the impacts of the economic crisis on the EU policy on public procurement through historical institutionalist lens, this study demonstrates how the economic crisis shaped the regime on public procurement and how the EU managed to enhance harmonization and European integration despite an increasing national protectionism.