On Tuesday, 13 May 2025, the European Parliament’s Employment Committee (EMPL) voted in favour of a significant reform to EU public procurement rules. The reform, drafted by Rapporteur Kim Van Sparrentak (Greens, Netherlands), aims to link public procurement more directly to compliance with collective bargaining and respect for workers’ rights.
The drafted opinion was adopted with a strong majority: 40 votes in favour, 10 against and 1 abstention, with The Left, Greens, S&D, Renew and EPP voting in favour.
The opinion will now be submitted to the Internal Market Committee (IMCO), where Piotr Müller (ECR, Poland) acts as rapporteur.
Public procurement represents 15 per cent of GDP across the European Union, making it a powerful tool for promoting fair labour standards. Yet, as UNI Europa research shows, half of all public tenders across the EU are awarded solely based on the lowest price.
According to the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, 1 in every 150 persons are victims of labour exploitation or forced marriage, totalling nearly 50 million victims every day, affecting every region around the world. Ensuring that public money does not contribute to exploitative practices is a vital step toward promoting decent work and upholding human rights across the EU.
This reform is a key opportunity to ensure the possibility of excluding companies that do not respect workers’ rights and allowing for simpler procedures for public entities that want to promote quality jobs through public procurement.
Copyrights: European Parliament