Public Procurement in the EPAs: Issues, Costs and Benefits for the ACP

Public procurement constitutes a major part of public expenditure in many African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states as it typically includes expenditure on, among other things, transport and communications infrastructure, and construction of public works such as roads, schools and hospitals. The European Union is pushing for the inclusion of provisions on public procurement in its comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with ACP states. Such a procurement process is to be subjected to open competitive supply accounts for at least 10 per cent of GDP across the ACP group of states, and possibly more in some countries. This issue of Commonwealth Trade Hot Topics explores what the inclusion of public procurement entails, and what the associated costs and benefits are for the ACP.