Making public procurement work for the circular economy

Public procurement is a powerful but underused lever for the circular economy: EU public authorities spend trillions of euros a year on goods and services, yet green criteria remain rare and competition in the waste management market has diminished over the past decade, limiting the investment capacity of private companies. These problems can be addressed through a) a pull for European recycled materials, and b) a guarantee of fair competition in the waste management market. With the Commission's new EU Public Procurement Regulation published in September 2026, this session brings together policymakers and practitioners to discuss what the reform means for competition, circularity and fair play in the waste and resource management sector.

Session Chair

Paolo Campanella, Secretary General, FEAD

Program

14.00 Welcome
Herwart Wilms, FEAD President

14.05 Presentation on the new EU Public Procurement Regulation
Representative DG GROW (TBC)

14.20 Panel Discussion: A new public procurement framework: competition and circularity

• Representative from DG GROW (TBC)
• Representative from a public administration / contracting authority (TBC)
• Procurement law / competition specialist (TBC)
• FEAD Representative (TBC)

15.05 Q&A

15.25 Closing remarks