Willem Janssen presents research on obligatory sustainable public procurement at European Environmental Law Forum
During Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ’s three-day European Environmental Law Forum in the beginning of September, Willem Janssen presented his research on the procurement of sustainable and circular outcomes.
At this conference, scholars from different disciplines discussed the role, content and frame of legal instruments in transition processes to a low-carbon and circular economy, sustainable water resource management and sustainable biodiversity. In his presentation, Janssen focused on the question whether within EU-law and national law– in particular within public procurement law – a legal obligation exists for public authorities to procure sustainable and circular outcomes. Janssen concluded that EU law can at present not sustain the existence of such an obligation, and that instead we must investigate national obligations, such as the Dutch article 1.4(2) Aanbestedingswet 2012.