On September 9, 11, and 13, 2024, Jēkabs Kārlis Rasnačs, the project manager of Transparency International Latvia (Delna) participated in seminars titled “Public Procurement System: Transparency and Efficiency,” held in a hybrid format in the Moldovan cities of Costești, Bălți, and Cimişlia.
The event was organized by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) and USAID. The event was part of a program aimed at strengthening Moldova’s public procurement system, particularly in connection with Moldova’s integration into the European Union (EU). The seminar brought together officials of various levels, international experts, and civil society representatives to discuss the transparency and efficiency of the public procurement system in local municipalities.
Context and objectives of the seminars
The main goal of the event was to promote reforms in the public procurement system at the municipal level to ensure its compliance with European standards. This process is characterized by two key aspects: ensuring transparency at all stages of public procurement and strengthening the competence of staff involved in the procurement process.
Special attention was given to promoting inter-institutional cooperation and identifying risks in public procurement, as well as implementing reforms to reduce the risks of corruption and fraud.
Delna’s contribution to the seminars
By participating in the seminars, we shared our experience with public procurement oversight in Latvia and the impact of the EU accession process on procurement practices. J. Rasnačs emphasized the importance of Directives 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU, and 2014/23/EU in providing a standardized legal framework for public procurement across all EU member states, leading to price reductions, increased competition, and better value for goods/services. We also highlighted how the adoption of these directives has influenced anti-corruption measures by harmonizing rules for the exclusion of bidders, preventing conflicts of interest in the procurement process, and establishing an independent national authority responsible for overseeing procurement processes and reviewing bidder complaints.
J. Rasnačs also explained the positive impact of the EU’s support for civil society procurement oversight, benefiting both bidders and municipalities:
- Monitoring, particularly integrity pacts, can improve an entrepreneur’s internal processes for future procurement participation;
- It increases public interest in public procurement, potentially enhancing trust in local municipalities;
- It reduces the likelihood of public funds being wasted.
Context
Moldova’s accession to the EU and the transposition of directives are relevant in the context of the EU’s future enlargement. Following Moldova’s application in March 2022, the country officially gained candidate status on June 22, 2022. Moldova has set a goal of joining the EU by 2030. On December 14, 2023, the European Council decided to begin accession negotiations with Moldova. These negotiations officially began on June 25, 2024, alongside talks with Ukraine.
On October 20, 2024, Moldova is planning to hold a nationwide referendum on whether the country should amend its constitution to reflect the will of Moldovan citizens to join the European Union, in order to prevent future governments from reversing the country’s pro-European direction.
The presentation “Experience of Latvian procurement supervision: the impact of the European Union accession process on procurement practice” can be found here->.
The article was created with funding from the European Union Recovery Fund. Transparency International Latvia (Delna) is responsible for the content of the project activities, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.