DEF: all Public Administrations must centralize procurement

A delegated bill for the reorganization of the purchasing system is coming soon.
16/04/2015 – Compulsory centralized procurement could apply to all public
administrations and not just non-capital municipal authorities. The rationalization of the purchase of
goods and services by Public Administration also requires regulatory changes,
which will probably be included in an enabling law for reorganization.
These are some of the innovations included in the National Reform Programme, Section III
of the Economic and Financial Document (DEF).
Based on the current legislation, introduced by the Spending Review (Law 89/2014, which
converted Leg. Decree 66/2014) non-capital municipal authorities purchase works, assets and
services as part of municipality unions or by establishing a consortium agreement with
provincial authorities or other aggregator entities. Alternatively, municipal authorities can use the electronic
purchasing tools managed by Consip SpA or by another aggregator entity. Failure to comply
with these rules makes it impossible to issue the Tender Identification Code (CIG). For the purchase of
goods and services, the obligation entered into force on 1 January 2015, while for works contracts,
it will come into effect from 1 July 2015.
As stated in the National Reform Programme, a process has also been initiated
to rationalize the purchasing centres, which will be reduced to around 35 and will be managed by
regional and metropolitan city authorities or municipality unions, as well as by the national central purchasing
body, Consip S.p.A.
From 2016, the aggregators will share their product plans and will form part of a
board that will enable the sharing of databases, the analysis of the needs of
administrations, the complete mapping of purchasing procedures throughout the territory and the
simplification of e-procurement processes.