ProVeg welcomes the dedicated provision on food procurement, while calling for clearer requirements to support healthier and more sustainable public food
The European Commission has today published its proposal to revise the EU’s public procurement framework, explicitly recognizing food as a key sector where quality and sustainability considerations matter.
ProVeg International welcomes the dedicated provision on food procurement in Article 53, which recognizes considerations including nutritional value and health, organic production, fairness and transparency in food supply chains, freshness and seasonality, and animal welfare.
This is an important step towards recognizing the strategic role of public food procurement. With an estimated €50 billion spent annually on public food procurement across the EU, public food spending has enormous potential to shape healthier, fairer and more sustainable food systems.
Lucia Hortelano, Senior EU Policy Manager at ProVeg International, said: “Food is not a commodity like any other. What public institutions buy and serve directly impacts people’s health, farmers, communities, and the environment. We welcome the European Commission’s recognition that food procurement needs to take these wider considerations into account.”
“But recognition alone is not enough. The EU now needs to give public authorities the clarity and confidence they need to make healthier, more sustainable, and more diverse food choices part of everyday procurement.”
A step forward, but important gaps remain
The proposal contains several positive changes that could support more strategic public procurement. Best Price-Quality Ratio (BPQR) becomes the default award criterion, moving away from the lowest-price approach that can hinder more sustainable procurement. The proposal also introduces a duty for public authorities to consider dividing contracts into lots, potentially improving access for smaller suppliers and farmers, and strengthens provisions on procurement capacity and market engagement.
However, ProVeg believes the proposal does not yet go far enough.
The EU’s sustainability architecture remains largely voluntary, with public buyers generally able to take environmental and social considerations into account rather than being required to do so. The BPQR approach is also weakened by “comply or explain” provisions and broad derogations, undermining the potential of this new awarding method.
The proposal also provides no clear pathway towards binding environmental, social, and health criteria for food procurement. This risks perpetuating the legal uncertainty that can make public authorities reluctant to introduce more ambitious requirements.
Clear, practical and legally robust criteria are therefore essential. Existing work by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center on sustainable food procurement is a useful basis for giving public authorities greater clarity.
From recognition to action
ProVeg has been working with policymakers, the EU Food Policy Coalition, and other stakeholders to advocate for a stronger strategic approach to public food procurement. Public food spending can improve access to healthy meals, support sustainable production, strengthen local economies and shorter supply chains, improve animal welfare and increase the availability of diverse protein sources.
For ProVeg, protein diversification is an important part of this shift. Expanding the range of plant-based protein options in schools, hospitals and other public institutions can help create healthier and more sustainable food environments while supporting more resilient food systems.
Lucia Hortelano, Senior EU Policy Manager at ProVeg International, added: “Public money should deliver public value. Public food procurement can be a powerful lever for healthier diets, more sustainable farming and more resilient food systems.”
“The Commission has taken an important first step by recognizing food in the revised framework. Now, as the legislative process begins, we need to build on that recognition with clear criteria and stronger requirements that make healthier, more sustainable and diverse food procurement the norm.”
The Commission’s proposal will now enter the EU co-legislative process. ProVeg will continue working with policymakers and partners to ensure the final framework matches the EU’s sustainability ambitions and supports public authorities in using public food spending to deliver greater value for people, the planet and the food system.
ENDS
Contact details for press officers:
ProVeg International: Gemma Chapman | Senior International Communications Manager | [email protected]
Editor’s notes:
- The European Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on public contracts and concessions was published on 9 September 2026. The proposed Public Procurement Act would replace Directives 2014/23/EU, 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU with a single Regulation. Article 53, Food Procurement, states that public buyers may take food quality and sustainability considerations into account in specifications, award criteria or contract conditions. These may include fairness and transparency in food supply chains, organic production methods, nutritional value and health effects, freshness and seasonality, and animal welfare. The Commission estimates that public procurement accounts for around 15% of EU GDP, underlining its potential as a policy lever.
- The EU Food Policy Coalition, of which ProVeg is a member, has previously called for stronger sustainability and health requirements for public food procurement through its Manifesto for establishing minimum requirements in public canteens across the EU.
- About ProVeg International: Our vision is a world where the food we eat is good for all people, animals, and our planet. Our mission is to accelerate the transition to a sustainable global food system by making plant-rich foods and alternative proteins more accessible and appealing.
