AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT

Text of the Agreement

The Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) 2012 requires that open, fair and transparent conditions of competition be ensured in government procurement. For this purpose, the text of the Agreement establishes general principles and detailed procedural requirements that the GPA parties are obliged to apply in the covered procurement activities.

 

Basic principles and elements

The GPA 2012 is based on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and procedural fairness, and contains the following main elements:

  • guarantees of national treatment and non-discrimination for the suppliers of parties to the Agreement with respect to procurement of covered goods, services and construction services as set out in each party's schedules
  • provisions regarding accession to the Agreement and the availability of special and differential treatment for developing and least-developed countries
  • detailed procedural requirements regarding the procurement process designed to ensure that covered procurement under the Agreement is carried out in a transparent and competitive manner that does not discriminate against the goods, services or suppliers of other parties, avoids conflicts of interest and prevents corrupt practices
  • additional requirements regarding transparency of procurement-related information (e.g. relevant statutes and regulations)
  • provisions regarding modifications and rectifications of parties' coverage commitments
  • requirements regarding the availability and nature of domestic review procedures for supplier challenges which must be put in place by all parties to the Agreement
  • provisions regarding the application of the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding in this area
  • a “built-in agenda” for improvement of the Agreement, extension of coverage and elimination of remaining discriminatory measures through further negotiations.

The full text of the GPA 2012 is available here.

 

 

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