There is a lever in economic policy that often goes unnoticed, yet has a direct impact on markets, businesses, and development models: public demand.
Every year, a significant portion of Europe’s GDP flows through public procurement. This is where supply chains are shaped, standards are set, and innovation and quality are rewarded. And it is in this arena that, over the past twenty years, Green Public Procurement (GPP) has established itself, gradually transforming public spending into a tool capable of influencing the real economy.
In Italy, this journey began in 2006, with the introduction of the National Action Plan for GPP, and was consolidated in 2016 with the mandatory application of the Minimum Environmental Criteria in the Public Contracts Code. Since then, public demand has no longer been neutral: it guides the choices of administrations, influences business strategies, and helps redefine markets.
Today, twenty years later, the context has changed profoundly. Europe is called upon to strengthen competitiveness, resilience, and strategic autonomy, within a framework marked by ecological transition, geopolitical tensions, and the redefinition of industrial policies. In this scenario, public procurement is no longer merely an implementation tool but a structural lever to guide development.
Green Public Procurement thus returns to the center of the European debate, particularly in light of the revision of thePublic Procurement Directive and new industrial and climate strategies. The challenge is no longer merely “buying green,” but using public demand to support European supply chains, promote innovation, and ensure higher environmental and social standards.
It is around these questions that the 20th edition of the Compraverde Buygreen Forum opens.
The opening conference, “20 Years of Green Public Procurement: Public Demand as a Driver of Prosperity, Competitiveness, and European Industrial Policy”, will provide an opportunity to take stock of two decades of policies, analyze their results, and, above all, redefine their role in the current context.
This is not just about celebrating a journey, but about understanding how GPP can become one of the key tools for shaping European economic policies in the coming years.
The event will take place as part of the Forum Compraverde Buygreen 2026, scheduled for Rome on May 27 and 28.
To participate: https://www.forumcompraverde.it/partecipanti/
