On 26th January 2021, representatives of the Republic Commission took part in the work of the regional online workshop “Public procurement review systems – reality and challenges in post-COVID times“. The workshop was held as a part of the planned annual activities of the SIGMA/OECD initiative, with a view to enhance the capacities of bodies responsible for legal protection in IPA beneficiaries countries (Serbia, B&H, Montenegro, Тurkey, Аlbania, North Маcedonia); according to the organizer’s plan, the content of the workshop was adjusted to the needs of participants which also included Members of the Republic Commission and employees of the Service of the Republic Commission.
On behalf of the SIGMA/OECD initiative, the participants were welcomed by Piotr–Nils Gorecki, senior adviser for public procurement, as keynote speaker.
In further course of the workshop, Wojciech Hartung, public procurement expert from Poland, spoke about functioning of legal protection measures in EU countries, with special reference to the current state, statistics and challenges in the future, putting emphasis in his presentation on the analysis of data obtained while drafting the report prepared by the association the presenter belongs to. He presented data related to legal remedies in the area of public procurement in 28 EU Member States, relevant to public procurement contracts exceeding EU value limits/thresholds defined by Directive 2014/24/ЕU.
Aleksandra Melesko, еxpert from Letonia, employed in the legal service of the European Court of auditors, with prior experience from the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, dedicated her presentation to the judicial practice of the Court of Justice of the EU, with focus on the latest, as well as on the pending cases of the Court in the field of public procurement and protection of rights in public procurement. Ms Melesko analyzed a number of specific judgements in her presentation (C‑367/19 Tax-Fin-Lex d.o.o, C-395/18 Tim, C-285/18 Irgita, C‑796/18 (ISE) v. Stadt Köln, C-496/18 HUNGEOD).
Zoran Blazevic, SIGMA expert, has also participated in the workshop presenting the situation in public procurement in the Western Balkans countries in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.