On May 9, 2025, in the context of the European Commission’s review of the EU public procurement directives, Erik Slottner, the Minister for Public Administration, presented Sweden’s preliminary positions to the commissioner responsible for public procurement.
The annual turnover of public procurement in Sweden exceeds SEK 900 billion, representing just over one-sixth of the nation’s GDP.
Swedish public procurement legislation is grounded in EU directives, with over half of the approximately 17,000 procurements announced yearly in Sweden falling under this legal framework. The European Commission is reviewing these directives and anticipates proposing a revised legal framework by the end of 2026. This new framework should reduce complexity and detail to encourage a more business-oriented, less rules-based approach to public procurement.
In addition to complying with the EU’s international trade commitments, it is vital to assess what additional provisions are necessary to foster fair competition, combat corruption, exclude unscrupulous and criminal enterprises, and ensure national security and the security of supply.
Furthermore, the procurement process requires increased flexibility. Currently, numerous tenderers are excluded due to technical errors, adversely affecting short- and long-term competition. The regulatory framework should provide greater allowances for addressing such issues, and opportunities for negotiation should also be expanded. The Swedish minister says that a general provision for negotiation should be introduced to improve the likelihood of procurement resulting in mutually beneficial contracts and enable the public sector to access the best available solutions.
“The current regulatory framework is unnecessarily complicated. It damages trust in public procurement and makes it less attractive for businesses to take part. More than 70,000 tenders are submitted every year. This shows a high level of interest, but at the same time, in 18 per cent of these procurements, only one tender is received. A guiding principle for a new regulatory framework should be to make it easier for authorities to get the best value for their money. This would lead to more efficient use of tax money and increased benefits for citizens,” said Minister Slottner.
