Directives 2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC, which were transposed into Irish law by regulations made by the Minister for Finance, allow for environmental and social criteria and conditions to be integrated into public procurement procedures. Such criteria and conditions may, therefore, be included in the selection of technical specifications and award criteria, and in contract performance clauses.
The current emphasis is on ensuring that all timber entering the EU comes from legal sources. To this end, a new EU Regulation will require timber traders operating in the EU for the first time to operate "due diligence" systems as a further barrier to trade in illegal timber. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who has responsibility in this area, is negotiating this Regulation on behalf of Ireland.
The provisions of this Regulation, when adopted, will be reflected in the Green Public Procurement National Action Plan being prepared by my Department in co-operation with the National Procurement Operations Unit in the Office of Public Works. The Plan will help to ensure that we utilise our forest resources in a cost-effective way, while also safeguarding them for the benefit of future generations.