Procurement water, energy, transport and postal sectors: coordination of procedures for award, utilities directive

2000/0117(COD)
The European Parliament adopted some of the amendments in the report by Stefano ZAPPALA (EPP-ED, Italy) but rejected the majority. Those amendments adopted include 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"; - accessibility criteria for people with disabilities must be taken into account by the contracting authority; - the electronic auction procedure is not suited to the award of works contracts or contracts for intellectual-creative and other, more complex services; - the confidential nature of information furnished by economic operators must be respected; - there is clarification on the definition of "special or exclusive rights"; - the distinction between "other postal services" and "ancillary postal services" should be abolished; - a tender may be submitted by electronic means only if an advanced electronic signature within them meaning of Directive 1999/93/EC and a reliable means of encrypting the contents are used; - contracting entities operating a system for qualification must inform applicants within two months instead of a "reasonable period"; - among the list of matters, which the Commission should try to remedy with third countries, is added the non-compliance with third countries of international labour law provisions listed in an annex to the Directive.�