The 3rd International Public e-Procurement Seminar, organised by the Basque Government, the Basque Public Administration Institute and the European Public Administration Institute, held in Donostia-San Sebastian on 23 and 24 April, enabled attendees to listen to experiences and exchange opinions with numerous experts fundamental to the e-Procurement process in different EU countries.

The presence of 110 representatives from more than 22 countries worldwide confirms the level of interest there is in electronic procurement and is evidence of the international relevance of the seminar, which is one of the main events on this subject in the EU.

The two days included discussions on e-Procurement in evolution Europe, and the successes and failures encountered in introducing e-Procurement. The theoretical perspective was complemented by the, always attractive, study of practical projects presented by the following institutions:

• European Commission.
• Belgian Federal Procurement Service.
• Finnish Ministry of Finance.
• German Ministry of the Interior.
• Irish Government.
• Burgundy (France) Regional Council.
• Spanish Tax Administration Agency.
• Basque Government.

In compliance with community Directive 18/2004/EC all European public administrations are obliged to incorporate digital procedures for administrative procurement. Therefore, a series of issues were given special attention during the Seminar, in the context of the e-Procurement theoretical and practical framework. We highlight the following:

-The continuity of digital processing methods for repetitive consumption products, from the definition of framework agreements, the creation of electronic catalogues, tendering and adjudication, through to electronic invoicing.

-The digitalization of procurement processes is also proceeding in areas related to services and intellectual services.

-The majority of countries reflect the fact that e-Procurement plans should be developed steadily but surely, seeking the involvement of all parties: administration and businesses.

-With the goal of sharing infrastructures, practically all countries are developing actions to support the extension of e-Procurement to local administrations from central governments.

-There is a need to continue advancing the standardisation of e-Procurement processes, platform interoperability and regulatory development in response to the peculiarities of e-Procurement; in addition to removing obstacles to cross border procurement.

-Many countries express a desire to incorporate electronic bidding, competitive dialogue, and dynamic procurement systems.

-In the Spanish State, the coming into force of the new Law on Public Sector Contracts is driving the administration to pay particular effort to adapt internal management processes and create the contracting profile required by the Act.

PRINCIPAL CHALLENGES
The seminar likewise was an opportunity to list the main challenges for the future extension of Public e-Procurement in the EU. Specifically, international experts evoked the strategic relevance of the following themes:

	The need for mutual recognition of recognised digital signature systems.
	The benefit of interoperability between electronic catalogues aimed at procurement of repetitive consumption products.
	The need to harmonise e-Procurement platforms and the regulations that govern their usage.
	The development of cross border e-Procurement processes, facilitating access to public procurement to companies from other states.

BASQUE GOVERNEMNT ADVANCES IN ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT
Idoia Zenarrutzabeitia, officially inaugurated the seminar as Vice-president of the Basque Government, responsible for developing electronic administration and government, and Minister of the Basque Governments Public Administration and Services Department, responsible for the Basque Government’s e-Procurement Model.

In her introductory speech, the Vice-president presented the Basque Government’s advances in electronic procurement, highlighting:

	The Public e-Procurement Model’s development of integrated e-Procurement, as the entire process is carried out telematically.
	That throughout 2007 a total of 100 procurement dossiers had been handled entirely by e-Procurement processes, with a total procurement value of 80 Million Euros.
	Out of 100 dossiers issued,50% had received digital bids.
	On average25% had received digital bids.
	That during 2007 the first tenders with 100% electronic biding had been held.
	For the first timeprovisional and final guarantees (bonds) had been received electronically through the e-Procurement system. Likewise, it has been made possible to receive financial solvency reports in digital format.
	The Basque Government’s Public e-Procurement Model has been recognised by the European Commission as Good e-Administration Practice (ePractice.eu Good Practice label for 2007).

NEW OBJECTIVES
After two years of promoting the voluntary adoption of e-Procurement, the Vice-president announced that this year, the Basque Government’s e-Procurement Model should make the following qualitative jumps:

-Oblige the use of electronic notification for all bidders, independent of whether they have bid electronically in the past or not.
-Deepen the regulatory framework for e-Procurement, to incorporate advances resulting from practical experience over the past two years, and developments emanating from the new Law on Public Sector Contracts and the Law on Citizens electronic access to public services.
-Launch a telematic version of the Official Register of Contractors.
-The first dossiers for exclusively digital tendering will be launched shortly. Electronic tendering is to gradually become compulsory across all dossier types.

Finally, the Vice-president indicated that, given the EU had established as an objective for the year 2010 that 50% of procurement carried out by European public administrations be carried out by electronic means, the Basque Government intends to reach this target as soon as possible.