Public procurement distance: analysing European public procurement policy implementation in 27 EU member states

Schermerhorn, A.E.

European procurement policy rests on three pillars: a binding legal framework, non-mandatory strategic objectives (such as sustainability, social impact, and innovation), and ambitions for cross-border procurement to strengthen the internal market. Each element faces distinct implementation challenges, with strategic objectives in particular often remaining insufficiently utilised.
In response to this tension, Schermerhorn introduces the concept of “public procurement distance”: the divergence between the policy’s ambitions and its realisation within Member States, regions, and municipalities. While policy goals emphasise sustainability, innovation, SME participation and cross-border trade, these aspirations often falter in everyday practice. Crucially, public procurement distance is not merely a matter of poor execution but a structural phenomenon embedded in the design and operation of European procurement policy.
The persistence of this distance...Show moreEuropean procurement policy rests on three pillars: a binding legal framework, non-mandatory strategic objectives (such as sustainability, social impact, and innovation), and ambitions for cross-border procurement to strengthen the internal market. Each element faces distinct implementation challenges, with strategic objectives in particular often remaining insufficiently utilised.
In response to this tension, Schermerhorn introduces the concept of “public procurement distance”: the divergence between the policy’s ambitions and its realisation within Member States, regions, and municipalities. While policy goals emphasise sustainability, innovation, SME participation and cross-border trade, these aspirations often falter in everyday practice. Crucially, public procurement distance is not merely a matter of poor execution but a structural phenomenon embedded in the design and operation of European procurement policy.
The persistence of this distance arises not from unwillingness, but from bureaucratic complexity, market dynamics, political pressure, the institutional behaviour of contracting authorities, and the pivotal role of individual procurement professionals. In this respect, Member States are more alike than different.
This study offers important insights for scholars and practitioners concerned with policy implementation, public procurement, and governance, highlighting the structural tensions between European policy ambitions and everyday practice.Show less

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Public procurement distance: analysing European public procurement policy implementation in 27 EU member states