bpv Hügel consults Vienna Airport at indemnity from public procurement law

The European Commission exempts Austrian airports at provisions in freight traffic from announcement according to public procurement law. bpv Hügel is pleased with this success.

Vienna, 30 January 2017. With resolution of January 24, 2017, the European Commission released Austrian airports from obligatory announcements according to public procurement law. This exception concerns provisions in freight traffic and applies to all Austrian airports. This resolution was the end of proceedings, which was accompanied by bpv Hügel on the part of Vienna Airport.

According to European Commission, the provisions of the guideline 2014/25/EU, which are the basis of the Austrian public procurement law, have not to be applied in the present case because a free market access and competition was proven. The intention behind it: The mechanism of the market secures an efficient and cost-effective decision, which the public procurement law targets.

“In a competition oriented environment, obligatory announcements according to public procurement law can be a disadvantage. A regulatory corset restricts the flexibility and leads not rarely to delays of projects”, clarifies the office managing partner of bpv Hügel, Dr. Florian Neumayr the value of the Commission’s resolution. DDr. Christian Schneider, partner at bpv Hügel, adds: “We managed that Vienna Airport may tender according to usages of private economy in a clear defined sector. The resolution of the European Commission is trend-setting and we do not exclude, that this resolution is also interesting for other sectors or airports in other countries.”