Invited guests were the main stakeholders – public and private – of the Lombardy territory – (Union of the Chamber of Commerces, Union of Industrial association, Union of Agricultural operators, National Association of Municipalities, Union Trade, Universities,.. see list of participants) – The main theme was the opportunity derived from the GPP4GROWTH project to improve the application and the implementation of the Green Public Procurement in Lombardy. During the meeting the participants also dealt with European Structural Fund issues related to the European Territorial Cooperation.
The meeting was introduced by the Deputy Director of the Presidency of Lombardy Region, who highlighted the importance of the full and complete utilization of European Funds – in particular those belonging to the European Territorial Cooperation in the present 2014-2020 programming period – maximising their benefits by promoting activities which could represent opportunity of development for the whole territory.
Lombardy Region continued the discussion underlying that – following recent modification to the Italian Public Procurement Code - for the Italian public administration is now obligatory to follow green procurement standard, for products and services for which the Ministry have approved the related CAM (Furniture, Buildings, Transports, Waste management, urban services, energy supply, electronics, textiles, writing materials..).
At political and institutional level a MOTION OF THE Regional COUNCIL (approved in June 2016) invited the Executive board (Giunta) to activate tools, measures and financial instruments in order to facilitate:
- the full application of Green Public Procurement new rules
- the detailed information to the business sector and to contracting administrations with specific initiatives
- The organization of training sessions meant to improve the professional skills of the people involved in the procedures
For this reason – in order to give effect to the above mentioned motion – the Presidency of Lombardy Region decided to be directly involved in the implementation of the GPP rules, encouraging the correct application of the environment criteria by all the public administrations in the territory.
In this sense GPP4Growth project, approved under the second call of the European program INTERREG EUROPE, represents an opportunity to implement the content of the motion.
As an activity propaedeutic to all the other, an on-line survey addressed to the European stakeholders has been implemented, in order to make a report of the state of implementation of the green procurement in partner countries. This survey is addressed to all the subjects involved in the application of GPP, both public and private. All the participants are invited to give their contribution and to spread the initiative among their contacts.
The results of this survey will be illustrated by the end of the year.
The Union of the Chambers of Commerce considers the GPP4GROWTH project as a great opportunity, mostly for the public administrations, which – unlike the business sector by far more ready to follow the new procedure – seem to be unprepared to adopt the GPP rules in public tenders.
Lombardy Region and Unioncamere are developing joint working initiatives meant to support local municipalities in adopting the GPP rules, focusing in particular on the local public administrations involved in the ROP ERDF.
More information will be given shortly.
The National Association of the Italian Municipalities (ANCI) in Lombardia expressed the appreciation to the initiative and manifested its interest to be directly involved.
Rete Impresa Italia also expressed the availability to be involved in the GPP project, with a clear definition of their role.
Last but not least, the Union Trade wished that the GPP4GROWTH project - besides the application of mandatory rules - will help to strenghten the awareness of the crucial importance of linking the environment with the public procurement. There’s a cultural leap forward to be done.
