Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (the Netherlands) is organising a webinar on how the two recent reports by former Commissioner Enrico Letta and former ECB head Mario Draghi could contribute to changes in the EU's approach to the internal market. Such changes could carry major implications for public procurement professionals.

Letta's report notes that the internal market was "born in a smaller world" and calls for "a fifth freedom" on research, innovation and education, highlighting the need to strengthen the EU towards the rest of the world. Draghi's report states that the foundations on which the internal market have been shaken and focusses on innovation, decarbonization, security and reducing dependencies. Both reports contain concrete proposals to change the way in which the internal market operates. 

The webinar aims to provide an initial understanding of the implications of the Letta and Draghi reports for the functioning of multiple fields of EU law, and to discuss the potential future positive effects and negative implications of the proposals to change the functioning of the internal market. It will focus on questions such as: what will be the effect of these changes to how we regulate competitive markets?; will the room to give state aid within the EU increase?; how will the external relations between the EU and the outside world change, given the stronger call for strategic autonomy?; where will we note changes into how consumers are protected inside and outside the EU?

For more information on the webinar, and to register, click here

For more than 30 years, TCO Certified has worked with the global IT industry and buyers worldwide to improve sustainability in the tech world. The criteria in TCO Certified are updated every third year to push sustainability where it matters most. Now, it's time for the next steps.

This webinar will discuss the steps needed to drive sustainability in four key areas: climate, substances, circularity and supply chain. TCO is excited to share its Roadmap for Sustainable IT with an external audience for the first time, along with the criteria in the new generation of TCO Certified. Thousands of updates and changes have been made to drive circularity, reduce the climate impact of IT products, improve working conditions for over 100,000 people and replace thousands of harmful substances with safer alternatives. The first verified models that meet all criteria will also be made public.

Thousands of organisations worldwide include TCO Certified in the procurement process to support sustainable IT initiatives and efforts. By joining this digital launch event, you can learn more about our global system for IT sustainability with a proven track record and how you can join the global movement for sustainable IT.

To register, click here

Programme

• Re-thinking climate action (Niclas Rydell) - A new criteria set questions the status quo and drives emission reductions in both manufacturing and use. Learn how it helps you reduce your IT systems’ climate footprint.
• Improving chemical safety (Stephen Fuller) - Learn how we’ve managed to take control of the almost uncontrollable chemicals industry, and you can benefit as we take this further in 2025.
• Collaboration for circularity (Andreas Nobell) - To create circular material flows, we need to work together. Find out what you can do, and what to expect when you buy certified products.
• Supply chain sustainability (Stephen Fuller) - 30 years of systematic work have resulted in more responsible factories and lasting improvements. Learn how you can benefit as we move further up the supply chain.
• The importance of supporting the same system (Clare Hobby and Barton Finn) - Using TCO Certified means bundling your procurement power with thousands of other organizations worldwide. Learn what the new developments in the four areas mean in practice for purchasing organizations.
• The first certified products! - The new generation requires major adaptations by IT brands in product design and manufacturing processes, as well as new circular solutions. We will look at the first models that have been verified to meet all criteria.

Austrian public authorities and social economy entities are invited to take part in a training organised as part of the WeBuySocialEU capacity-building efforts. The training will take place in Graz on 5 December and will be delivered in German. The training is designed to help stakeholders not only gain much-needed expertise in socially responsible public procurement but also to establish participants as the go-to person within their organisation for advice and expertise in this increasingly important field. The training is specifically tailored to professional and particular contexts, thanks to in-depth research and interviews conducted by national experts in autumnn 2023.

The training will give participants a better understanding of the social economy in Austria, and of the shared goals and needs of public buyers and social economy actors. In addition, participants will learn about the benefits and challenges of involving social economy organisations in public tenders, how to implement social and sustainability criteria in public tenders, and how to improve collaboration between the social economy sector and public authorities engaging in Socially Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP).

The training takes place in the context of the European Commission's WeBuySocialEU initiative, which seeks to enhance social responsibility in public procurement by building capacity and awareness across the EU. At the end of the training public authorities should have more knowledge on how to design tendering procedures that are accessible to the social economy and include social aspects, while social economy enterprises will be able to better compete for public tenders that include social considerations.

The European Commission training workshop in Austria is organised by ICLEI Europe in cooperation with arbeit plus. More information about the initiative can be found here. To apply, click here.

Once per year the Big Buyers Working Together (BBWT) brings together all 10 of its Communities of Practice (CoPs) in a special in-person event. In 2025, this annual event will be organised by ICLEI Europe and take place in Helsinki, Finland, on 24 and 25 March, with the first day exclusively reserved for CoP members.

The event will focus on how public buyers can drive a more sustainable, social and innovative Europe, befitting the broader aims of the project. BBWT seeks to strengthen the collaboration between public buyers with strong purchasing power, and promote the wider use of strategic public procurement for innovative and sustainable solutions.

During panel discussions and interactive sessions, the event will bring CoP members and other relevant stakeholders together to reflect on BBWT’s progress in the past year, and discuss the future of strategic public procurement in Europe. It will do so by facilitating collaboration and interactions between members from different thematic CoPs, and other stakeholders. Participants will also get the opportunity to find out some great examples of how host city Helsinki has implemented public procurement in practice.

More details about the programme can be found here.

Registration for the BBWT annual event is now closed.

The Circular Investment Readiness Network (CIRN) is organising a series of sessions to support circular economy projects in overcoming development and financial challenges. The next session will take place on 27 March (09:30 - 10:30 CET) and will be hosted by Vojtech Vosecki, one of Europe's leading circular economy voices.

CIRN seeks to create meaningful connections and foster knowledge exchange between circular start-ups, circular experts, and investors across the EU. Its upcoming networking session is designed to help participants connect with the right people and have productive conversations that can spark new opportunities and partnerships.

The networking session will take place on the Conversation Starter platform, where participants should indicate both their expertise and the areas where they seek support. Based on this information, they can schedule three separate 12-minute one-on-one meetings with experts or be automatically matched based on their interests through the platform’s smart pairing system.

To register, click here

The Circular Investment Readiness Network is a joint initiative of CircularInvest and DEFINITE-CCRI. Both projects are funded under the Horizon Europe Programme to assist the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative in advancing the circular economy in Europe. Through Project Development Assistance (PDA) and guidance, CircularInvest and DEFINITE-CCRI aim to support circular economy projects in securing vital investments. More information can be found here.