The committee adopted the report by Stefano ZAPPALA' (EPP-ED, I) amending the Council·s common position under the 2nd reading of the codecision procedure. It retabled a large number of amendments adopted by Parliament at 1st reading, including the following:
- the coordination of procedures for the award of contracts should be based on the aim of "guaranteeing a high standard of reliable services of general interest at affordable prices";
- the proposed thresholds for contracts to which the directive shall apply should be increased by around 20% in the case of supply and service contracts and 12% for works contracts;
- the distinction between "other postal services" and "ancillary postal services" should be abolished;
- the rules on the economic, financial and social standards to met by an economic operator should also apply in full to subcontracting firms;
- intellectual services, with the exception of translation, interpretation and management related services, should not be subcontracted;
- environmental and social criteria, especially employment, health and safety standards and improved access for disabled people, should be better reflected at all stages of public procurement procedures;
- as regards electronic tendering, enhanced data security requirements, e.g. on electronic signatures, should be safeguarded when tenders are submitted electronically.
Other amendments dealt with matters such as framework agreements, particularly complex contracts, special or exclusive rights, review procedures and the weighting of award criteria.�