Conference: Challenges for Public Procurement in Europe

The objective of the workshop – organised by research platform The Transactional State (part of Utrecht University's interdisciplinary programme Institutions for Open Societies) – is to strengthen the connection between research in public procurement and transactional activities at Utrecht University and the policy objectives of the European Commission. Paper proposals open until May 14, 2023 

The European Commission identifies four emerging themes that shape policy debates: the link between public procurement and sustainability, the development of the single market, the international dimension of public procurement, and the upcoming theme of public procurement in the defence industry. The aim is to connect these to cross-cutting insights from law and economics, and thus the purpose of this workshop is to explore the connections between the university's research and its support of policymaking at the European level.

Conference setup

• 09:30 AM - Welcome and Opening Remarks
• 09:45 AM - Speaker 1 (20 min)
• 10:05 AM - Speaker 2 (20 min)
• 10:25 AM - Speaker 3 (20 min)
• 10:40 AM - Coffee Break
• 11:00 AM - Speaker 4 (20 min)
• 11:20 AM - Speaker 5 (20 min)
• 11:40 AM - Speaker 6 (20 min)
• 12:00 PM - Plenary Discussion
• 1:00 PM - Lunch
• 2:00 PM - Academic Session (2 hours)
• 3:30 PM - Closing Remarks.

Sessions and submissions

In the morning, the academic sessions will take place where presenters will share their papers containing clear results. The presenters are kindly requested to deliver their presentations within a maximum duration of fifteen minutes and to utilize the remaining five minutes to explain the relevance of their findings to the European level. Several policymakers are expected to attend the morning sessions and participate in the discussions before the lunch break.

The discussions before lunch will be focusing on the relationship between the papers presented, and their relevant policy points articulated by the speakers. Policymakers may also provide feedback on how to enhance the policy relevance of the papers. After lunch, a significant number of policymakers are anticipated to have returned to their work. However, for those who opt to remain, a discussion on how to strengthen the research agenda by focusing on the European level and its connection to policy relevance will be held. The organizers of the conference aim to provide guidance on the use of data at the European level.

To attend the conference in Brussels, please use the registration link below. If you intend to present, please attach a paper or an extended abstract with your registration.

Clearly indicate how your contribution connects to policy debates at the European level, following the instructions provided in the link below. Paper proposals open until May 14, 2023.