Romanian Journal of Public Affairs is aiming to promote interdisciplinary research in governance, public administration, public affairs, public policy, law, economics and finance, following the philosophy of international interdisciplinary journals.This number of the journal contains the...

The rapid spread of COVID-19, firstly in Italy, exerted an impossible pressure on the EU and its Member States. Criticism of the speed of EU’s response to the pandemic, especially with regard to Italy, and signs of a lack of coordination accentuated by an initial “selfish” stance by some...

Last year was momentous for the international procurement arena, as several of the major multilateral development banks (MDBs) — including the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) — adopted significant changes to their procurement processes and procedures in efforts to increase...

The 2014 EU procurement directives contain a greatly expanded set of provisions relating to socially responsible public procurement (SRPP). From the application of higher thresholds and ability to limit competition for certain contracts through to the use of social award criteria and contract...

Public procurement rules were introduced in the European legal system as a device mainly intended to help build an effective internal market where competition is not distorted, in search for economic development. According to the supporting Cecchini Report, increasing cross-border competition...

In December of 2011, the Parties to the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) adopted significant revisions to the Agreement. The revised Agreement comprises (a) a much-needed modernization of the text of the Agreement, (b) an expansion of related market-access...

The World Bank is reviewing its system for suspending and debarring contractors (known formally as the World Bank sanctions system). The system is used to suspend and debar contractors that have engaged in fraud or corruption (and other enumerated bad acts) related to Bank-financed projects....

The World Trade Organisation Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) has created the most comprehensive plurilateral system for procurement-related trade liberalisation. However, there has been a proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs) regulating public procurement liberalisation, including...

Procurement professionals will increasingly be asked to play an important role in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change. Unfortunately, we don't have time to waste, either feeling hopeless or waiting for changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and subsequent...

Following decades of international negotiations and agreements, the world's multi-trillion-dollar public procurement market appears to be maturing into a free, open international market. To reach that point, nations must lower a broad array of barriers to trade in procurement. As the U.S....