Members of the Public Procurement Monitoring Coalition addressed the topic of sustainable public procurement, bridging public policy and practical implementation, at the meeting on Thursday, June 25, 2026. During the meeting, IDIS "Viitorul" presented an analytical note with recommendations for implementing sustainable public procurement in the Republic of Moldova.
Present at the meeting, Wojciech Paczynski, program manager at the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, said that an important element in the field of procurement is the clarity of the criteria applied in the procedures for awarding procurement contracts, the focus on the longevity of the purchased product/service/works, and not just on the immediate cost. Equally important is the conducting an objective market assessment of the market by public authorities, the understanding of what can realistically be procured on the market, and the ability to engage in dialogue with economic agents in order to formulate an appropriate tender, but also the implementation of contracts, to ensure that what is purchased through an procurement contract is delivered and not something else.
In turn, Carolina Ungureanu, deputy director at IDIS "Viitorul" and program manager, stated that if previously it was traditionally said that the success of a public procurement is associated with obtaining the lowest price, now this approach tends to be changed to a more mature, more strategic one, with the inclusion of the criterion of the best quality-price ratio for winning a public procurement, but also the life-cycle cost of the good, service or work performed. "This means that when purchasing a good, a service, or a work, we must analyze not only the cost at the time of purchase, but in the long term, so that we can talk about the value for money," said Carolina Ungureanu.
IDIS "Viitorul" associate expert Vadim Țurcan presented the analytical note titled "Sustainable Public Procurement: Between Public Policies and Practical Implementation". The document highlights essential recommendations, such as the rapid adoption and publication by the Government of the secondary regulatory framework for sustainable public procurement and the complete updating of the legal framework.
The Public Procurement Agency is recommended to publish, in Romanian, updated versions of the guides, to develop standard documentation and model clauses by relevant product and service categories, to increase the share of training dedicated to sustainable procurement, and to transform pilot lessons into simple working tools for contracting authorities. Contracting authorities are advised to gradually and strategically integrate sustainable procurement provisions and business community to adapt to new requirements as an investment in competitiveness.
The expert also recommends, in general, integrating sustainability criteria into the award documentation; using the "best value for money" or "quality-to-cost" criterion; developing standard models and practical guides; establishing priority categories of sustainable procurement; and monitoring contract outcomes.
During the discussion session, participants noted that sustainable public procurement requires not only regulatory changes but also strengthening institutional capacities, training specialists involved in the procurement process, and developing clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The importance of adopting good European practices and adapting them to the administrative and economic realities of the Republic of Moldova was also discussed, so that sustainable public procurement becomes applicable and efficient in the practice of contracting authorities.
The activities of the Public Procurement Monitoring Coalition take place within the "Supporting Moldova’s public procurement reform in the EU accession context” project, implemented by IDIS "Viitorul" with EU support, between September 2025 and September 2026.
This press release was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content represents the sole responsibility of the "Supporting Moldova’s public procurement reform in the EU accession context” project, financed by the European Union. The content of the press release is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the vision of the European Union.
For additional information about the project, please get in touch with the project's communication specialist, Maria Procopciuc, at +37360088544 or at the e-mail address: maria.procopciuc@viitorul.org.
