Integrity Challenges in the EU and U.S. Procurement Systems

Abstract

Ensuring the integrity of procurement processes is instrumental to reaching an efficient allocation of social resources. Although this applies to any procurement system, the concrete implementation varies across different regulatory systems. This article clarifies – as a chapter of a forthcoming book – the main differences between the US and the EU systems in tackling the integrity issue. It focuses on the differences between the two systems’ contractor selection models and emphasizes the extent to which each system allows for subjective evaluation methods by linking the latter to accountability and transparency requirements.

Keywords: procurement, integrity, subjectivity, accountability, transparency

JEL Classification: F13, H57