State-owned enterprises do not care about green public procurement – Target 30% by 2030, now 3.32%

In 2023, 1,592 public procurement procedures with environmental aspects were initiated, which is 3.32% of the total number of public procurement procedures.

These data from the Annual Report on Public Procurement in the Republic of Serbia for 2023, by the Public Procurement Office, are reported in the Proposal for the Circular Economy Development Program in the RS for the period 2026-2030.

As stated in the Program, the goal is to have 15% of green public procurement in 2027, and as much as 30% in 2030.

According to data from the Public Procurement Office, in 2023, 27,695 public procurement contracts were signed in which environmental aspects were applied, which is 8.24% of the total number of concluded contracts.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection states in the Program that, compared to 2021, when contracting authorities declared that they used environmental aspects in 650 procedures (0.41%) of public procurement, the results for 2023 show significant growth, but the share of 3.32% is still small and further work needs to be done to increase it.

– Public procurement, as a significant part of total spending in the public sector, has the potential to become a strong incentive for circular practices in the economy. By introducing environmental criteria, such as energy efficiency, the use of secondary raw materials and reduced emissions in at least 30% of public procurement by 2030, market demand for sustainable products and services is created and the economy is motivated to align with the principles of the circular economy – the Ministry states in the Program.

Ministarstvo zaštite životne sredine Republike Srbije

Proposal for the Circular Economy Development Program