Contract Changes comparatively analyses the contract modification regulation of 11 EU Member States, drawing on case law and common legal practice. As the first comparative study of material contract modifications, this book explores the interpretation of key concepts such as: unforeseen circumstances, non-equivocal clauses and the overall nature of the contract. Highlighting the discord between the transparency of the award of a public contract and the transparency of its implementation, the book interprets the execution phase of procurement contracts as the dark side of public procurement. Considering unforeseen circumstances, the change of the identity of the contractor, non-compliance and remedies, this book provides a unique insight into the challenges of interpretation and application of contract modification rules. It concludes that, whilst the flexibility to make contract amendments is required in some circumstances, the grounding principles of public procurement law must be considered and applied in these instances. This original book will be of interest to researchers who are working in public procurement, European and comparative law. It will also be valuable to lawyers, contractors and policymakers involved with public procurement contracts, contracting authorities and advising private companies.

This topical book offers an in-depth analysis of the recent implementation of the Public Procurement Directive, based on the experiences of 12 Member States including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. The contributions from first-class public procurement law experts offer an informed and comparative analysis of the recent implementation of the Public Procurement Directive, as well as focussing on so-called gold-plating (overimplementation) and issues where the legality of the implemented legislation is questionable. Vitally, the chapters also consider national preparatory works as a legal source and their interesting role in the implementation of the Directive including its Preamble. Attention is also given to the implementation of some of the most important novelties in the Directive such as the exclusion grounds, the competitive procedure with negotiation and contract changes. Modernising Public Procurement will be important reading for practitioners and civil servants involved in the implementation of public procurement law. Academics, researchers, politicians, judges and members of complaints boards in the field of public procurement law will also find this book a stimulating read. Contributors include: R. Agren, P. Bogdanowicz, M. Burgi, R. Caranta, M. Comba, D. Dragos, P. Ferk, K. Harginen, F. Lichere, B. Neamtu, S. Richetto, A. Sanchez Graells, M.A. Simovart, A. Sundstrand, S. Treumer, P. Valcarcel Fernandez, D. Wolff

This book explores Public Procurement novelties and challenges in an interdisciplinary way. The process whereby the public sector awards contracts to companies for the supply of works, goods or services is a powerful instrument to ensure the achievement of new public goals as well as an efficient use of public funds. This book brings together the papers that have been presented during the "First Symposium on Public Procurement", a conference held in Rome last summer and to be repeated again yearly. As Public Procurement touches on many fields (law, economics, political science, engineering) the editors have used an interdisciplinary approach to discuss four main topics of interest which represent the four different parts in which this book is divided: Competitive dialogue and contractual design fostering innovation and need analysis, Separation of selection and award criteria, including exclusion of reputation indicators like references to experience, performance and CV's from award criteria, Retendering a contract for breach of procurement rules or changes to contract (contract execution), Set-asides for small and medium firms, as in the USA system with the Small Business Act that reserves shares of tenders to SMEs only.

Competitive dialogue is a procedure introduced into the EU procurement system in 2004 to provide an improved method for awarding complex contracts, such as those for public infrastructure and major IT systems. This book provides a critical examination of the legal rules on this new procedure, focusing in particular on grey areas such as availability of the procedure and the scope for negotiations after 'final tenders'. It considers both the EU-level rules and the way in which those rules have been applied in national systems. The examination draws on extensive evidence of the way in which the procedure has been operated and interpreted across Europe, including from several studies commissioned specifically for this volume. It also includes an extensive chapter co-authored by the volume editors which provides a thorough analysis of the EU-level rules, a comparative reflection on national experiences and significant critical commentary and recommendations.

This book explores Public Procurement novelties and challenges in an interdisciplinary way. The process whereby the public sector awards contracts to companies for the supply of works, goods or services is a powerful instrument to ensure the achievement of new public goals as well as an efficient use of public funds. This book brings together the papers that have been presented during the "First Symposium on Public Procurement", a conference held in Rome last summer and to be repeated again yearly. As Public Procurement touches on many fields (law, economics, political science, engineering) the editors have used an interdisciplinary approach to discuss four main topics of interest which represent the four different parts in which this book is divided: Competitive dialogue and contractual design fostering innovation and need analysis, Separation of selection and award criteria, including exclusion of reputation indicators like references to experience, performance and CV's from award criteria, Retendering a contract for breach of procurement rules or changes to contract (contract execution), Set-asides for small and medium firms, as in the USA system with the Small Business Act that reserves shares of tenders to SMEs only.