On 15 October, a meeting of the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) took place in Dublin, focusing primarily on the reform of EU public procurement rules. Jurga Subačiūtė-Žemaitienė, Vice-Chair of the Lithuanian Industry Trade Union Federation (LPPSF), participated in the meeting.
Public procurement accounts for approximately 15% of the European Union’s (EU) gross domestic product (GDP), and 12.5% in Lithuania. This means that public procurement is not merely a technical procedure for purchasing goods or services at the lowest possible price.
Public procurement is an important instrument of economic and social policy that can directly affect working conditions, wages, the quality of public services, tax collection and Europe’s strategic autonomy.
EPSU emphasises that public money should be used to create long-term public value, rather than simply to secure the lowest initial price.
Much of the discussion focused on ensuring that public contracts support quality jobs, collective bargaining, decent working conditions and responsible tax compliance. Trade unions are calling for social criteria — including compliance with labour law, collective agreements and tax obligations — to be not merely recommendations, but requirements that are effectively implemented and verifiable.
The role of major technology companies such as Palantir, Microsoft and Amazon provided a particularly telling example. As the public sector increasingly purchases data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence services, concerns extend beyond price to include data control, taxation, dependence on non-European suppliers and digital sovereignty.
EPSU’s position is that public procurement should strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy and ensure that public data cannot be used for secondary purposes or transferred to third parties without proper control.
Another concrete example discussed was Ireland’s new children’s hospital in Dublin.
The project was initially estimated to cost approximately €650 million, but its projected cost has now risen to around €2.2 billion. The project has been significantly delayed, and as of 2026, a definitive completion date had still not been established. This illustrates why the value of a project cannot be assessed solely at the time a tender is published or a contract is signed. Its entire life cycle must be considered, including risks, supervision, financing and operating costs.
The meeting also addressed Lithuania’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2027. Public procurement reform could be an important issue during this period. Lithuania’s position and its ability to strike a balance between simplification, strategic autonomy, social criteria and the public interest will therefore be particularly significant.
The message from trade unions is clear: public money must deliver public value. It should support not the cheapest bid at any cost, but high-quality services, quality jobs and strong public services.
