A regulation has been approved to facilitate the access of Turkish companies to the public procurement market of the European Union (EU), which amounts to about 2 trillion euros.
The amendment to the Law on Public Procurement empowers the President to grant certain rights and advantages during public tenders in Turkey to participants registered in EU member States for products of European origin and companies offering these products based on the principle of reciprocity.
The main purpose of the regulation is to align with the principle of reciprocity applied by the EU in the field of public procurement and to reduce barriers preventing Turkish companies from participating in public tenders in EU countries.
In recent years, the European Union has increasingly used public procurement as a key instrument of industrial policy, while applying stricter rules of origin and protective measures. In accordance with the International Procurement Instrument (IPI), the EU applies the principle of reciprocity in public procurement and may introduce measures such as restricting participation in tenders or applying price incentives to companies from countries that do not provide sufficient access to EU companies.
As Turkiye is not a party to the World Trade Organization (GPA) Public Procurement Agreement, so Turkish companies have faced various difficulties in accessing public procurement markets in EU countries. Among the reasons for the current situation, the European Commission cited the limited openness of the Turkish public procurement market to EU companies.
The new regulation aims to bring Turkish legislation on public procurement closer to international practice and facilitate Turkish companies' access to public tenders in EU countries through mechanisms based on reciprocity.
According to the regulations, the President will be able to make decisions on the rights and benefits granted to bidders registered in the EU member states, as well as in other countries. Products of European origin participate in public tenders in Turkey within the framework of the reciprocity framework.
It is expected that this step will help Turkish companies to participate more effectively in the EU public procurement market, which has a volume of about 2 trillion euros, and at the same time will not allow them to suffer from potential restrictions provided for by the EU's International Procurement Instrument.
Author: Editorial staff of SteelRadar
steelradar.com
