Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Jun 1991

Vol. 410 No. 1

Written Answers. - EC Services Sector.

John Bruton

Question:

39 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline the progress which has been made since the decision thereon at the EC Summit at Dublin in June 1990, in relation to opening up the market for public procurement of services; and if he will further outline the opportunities which this provides for Ireland in selling services to Governments of other member states.

Minister for Finance (Mr. A. Reynolds)

As part of the internal market programme on public procurement, a draft directive for the co-ordination of procedures on the award of public service contracts was presented by the Commission of the European Communities to the European Council in December 1990.

The directive is aimed at opening the market for services purchased by public authorities to Community-wide competition along similar lines to the directives which are already in force covering supplies and works contracts. The directive has been discussed in a preliminary way at EC Council Working Party level and the views of the European Parliament have been sought. The detailed amendments proposed by the Parliament are now being considered by the Commission and a modified proposal is expected shortly.

A proposal for a separate directive to cover services procurred by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and telecommunications sectors, which are not covered by the present proposal, is expected to be presented by the Commission possibly later this year.

These developments will give rise to extra opportunities for Irish suppliers of services. Córas Tráchtála Teoranta has been actively engaged in assisting potential Irish suppliers in identifying the new opportunities which the expanded European public procurement market will open for Irish exporters. As a part of this effort it has published extremely detailed public procurement guides, one for each of the 12 member states.