Public institutions, companies and governments in the EU and around the world

are increasingly engaging in sustainable public procurement – a broad concept

that must consider the three pillars of economic equality, social welfare and public

health and environmental responsibility when designing public tenders and

finalizing government contracts.

This book contributes to the development of life-cycle criteria tools and methodologies

for public procurement in the EU. It collects both sector-crossing contributions

analysing the most relevant theoretical and legal aspects, including

both EU law and contract theory, and sector-specific contributions relating to

some of the most important sustainable goods and services markets. The book

starts with a chapter that discusses the different approaches to including sustainability

considerations in buying decisions by both private and public purchasers,

and then goes on to examine the EU law on LCC and how it is implemented

in different Member States. These chapters address the challenges in balancing

economic and sustainability objectives under EU internal market law. One

chapter develops the analysis with specific reference to public-private partnership.

Another chapter elaborates how multi-stakeholders’ cooperation is necessary to

develop LCC, based on a case study of a lighting services procurement. Three

sector-specific studies relating to social housing, textile and clothing and IT close

the book.

With contributors from a range of backgrounds including law, business, management,

engineering and policy development, this interdisciplinary book provides

the first comprehensive study on LCC within the framework of EU public

procurement law.