The House of Representatives voted in favour of the suggested legislative amendments introducing a stricter framework for recourses against public procurement contracts. The key amendments are as follows:

• Threshold for recourse: The minimum limit for filing a recourse before the Tenders Review Authority has been increased from €500,000 to €1,000,000.
• Guarantee requirement: Applicants requesting the Tenders Review Authority to issue interim measures to suspend a contract’s execution must submit a guarantee letter. The Authority, taking into account factors including the estimated value of the contract, sets the guarantee at a level corresponding to the compensation for a delay of up to 5 months in the delivery of the project.

The amendments are intended to limit abusive or unsubstantiated objections that have historically delayed the implementation of public projects, reduce the number of lower-value recourses, and enhance the Authority’s capacity to address cases in a timely manner. At the same time, the amended framework is said to preserve the availability of effective legal remedies in high-value tenders.

The amendments will enter into force upon their promulgation and publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic, in accordance with the Constitution, and are therefore not yet in effect.

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