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The European Commission has published the Final Report of its Expert Group on Innovation Procurement.
Ganado Advocates contributed to this EU-wide assessment as Malta's appointed legal experts, with Clement Mifsud Bonnici and Calvin Calleja authoring the Malta Country Assessment as part of the overarching study entitled "Legal Assessment on Innovation Procurement".
The assessment responds to growing EU attention on the strategic importance of innovation procurement, following major policy reports over recent years, each of which flagged the underutilisation of innovative solutions within EU public procurement.
The Final Report sets out a number of recommended reforms aimed at unlocking innovation potential throughout the EU procurement market. Key recommendations include:
- Introducing an EU-wide fast-track procedure for Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP). PCP enables contracting authorities to collaborate with industry on research, development, and real-world testing of innovative solutions before they reach the market.
- Embedding innovation across all procurement procedures. Innovation procurement should not be confined solely to specialised procedures, such as the Innovation Partnership, but encouraged across all procurement procedures.
- Requiring innovation-friendly intellectual property regimes in public contracts, particularly to incentivise the participation of start-ups.
- Introducing a 'Buy Europe' preference, especially for strategic or critical infrastructure.
The Final Report can be accessed here. If you want to read more about our country-specific assessment, you can do so here.
The Final Report has been published by Corvers Commercial & Legal Affairs, a leading Benelux legal consultancy specialising in innovation procurement.
Kelly Cini also contributed to the Malta Country Assessment.
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