Strengthening GPP and breaking down legal uncertainties to circular procurement: ACR+ work on public procurement continues

ACR+ is participating as an external advisory partner in the CE-PRINCE project, which aims to promote the Circular Economy in Central Europe by strengthening Green Public Procurement (GPP) practices. The project has launched a Transnational Strategy for Circular Green Public Procurement (C/GPP) across seven countries, assessing current GPP implementation, identifying barriers and opportunities, and setting key objectives like increasing adoption, harmonising criteria, and boosting skills and awareness. Action Plans are now being developed to turn these goals into concrete steps for both public buyers and suppliers.

ACR+ joined the first CE-PRINCE Advisory Board meeting, where experts stressed the importance of capacity building and adaptable approaches to national contexts. An Interactive Heat Map has also been introduced, offering a visual tool to track and compare C/GPP progress across regions. 

In parallel, under the C-PRONE initiative, ACR+ organised the event “Breaking Down Legal Uncertainties to Circular Procurement”. It addressed the reluctance of public authorities to pursue circular procurement due to legal concerns, despite EU laws allowing and encouraging sustainable purchasing. While some countries have adopted mechanisms like “comply or explain” or mandatory criteria, broader and faster implementation is still needed. 

Two key challenges remain: Enabling local sourcing is currently hindered by EU rules on equal treatment, while early market engagement is limited by concerns over compliance with transparency requirements.