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27 March 2014

Final LANDMARK conference brings together years of experience in socially responsible procurement

To mark the conclusion of the LANDMARK project, the Senator for Finances of the State of Bremen (Germany) will today host the final LANDMARK Conference. The conference will draw on the project’s three years of experience, addressing challenges surrounding verifying social responsibility. Every day, goods arrive in Europe developed under hazardous working conditions. The EU-funded LANDMARK project has contributed to improving such conditions, aiming to ensure that goods procured are from socially responsible manufacturers.

At yesterday’s press conference, LANDMARK project coordinator Philipp Tepper stated: “LANDMARK showed that socially responsible public procurement with a clear focus on the improvement of labour conditions along the production and supply chain is possible and necessary. I am convinced that further cities and regions will follow the good example of Barcelona, Bremen, Kolding, Loures, Oslo and Stockholm and that a consequential dialogue will result in the development of market specific solutions.”

The conference will see experts examine the recently adopted EU Procurement Directives, which strengthen the use of social criteria in public tenders. In addition, a series of socially responsible tenders published by Bremen will be presented. The inaugural European Fair Cotton Procurement Awards, an initiative which recognises and rewards excellence in the sourcing of Fair Trade cotton and responsible purchasing, will also be awarded at the conference. The awards are organised under the auspices of the project “Cotton on to Fairtrade procurement”.

For more information, click here.