Advancing Circular Economy through Public Procurement: The Legal Perspectives Beyond Green Ideals

Abstract

“How can public procurement become a true force for advancing the circular economy, beyond greenwashing and vague sustainability claims?”

This book answers this question and provides a clear doctrinal legal analysis of public procurement as a strategic instrument to foster circular economy objectives. It explores overlapping sustainability concepts, revealing that circularity is frequently driven by economic considerations rather than purely environmental ideals. The focus of analysis lies in the European Union’s Public Sector Directive 2014/24/EU and related national frameworks by investigating each phase of the procurement process and identifying concrete legal opportunities to embed circular criteria. It also provides an in-depth comparative legal analysis of Italy and Belgium, two EU Member States with diverging approaches to public procurement oriented to advance circular economy goals. Furthermore, it proposes concrete legal pathways to integrate circularity into EU sectoral legislation and policy, especially the upcoming legal acts.