Foreword	6
	Preface	8
	Contents	10
	About the Author	14
	Abbreviations	15
	Table of Cases of the European Court of Justice and the General Court (in chronological order)	20
	Chapter 1: Introduction	22
	1.1 Aspects Analysed	22
	1.2 Benchmarking	23
	Chapter 2: The EU Principles in Public Procurement. Transparency – Origin and Main Characteristics	25
	2.1 The Procurement Principles. The Concept of Transparency	25
	2.2 Transparency – How Does it Start?	29
	2.2.1 The Meaning of Transparency	31
	2.2.2 Features and Functions of Transparency	33
	Providing the Right Amount of Information	34
	Increase of Competition	35
	Control, Collaboration and Participation in Government Policies	36
	Anticorruption Instrument	38
	A Moral Postulate	39
	2.3 Transparency in the EU Public Procurement Legislation and the Work of International Organisations. Evolution of the Principle	39
	2.3.1 The Treaties and the European Court of Justice	40
	2.3.2 The Directives	42
	2.3.3 The Work of International Organisations Towards Transparency in Public Procurement Procedures	44
	WTO	45
	OECD	46
	Transparency International	46
	2.3.4 Evolution of the Transparency Principle in the Field of Public Procurement	47
	Traditional Perception	47
	Anticorruption Aspect. Shift of Priorities	50
	2.4 Progress and Degradation of the Principle of Transparency. The Example of Bulgaria	54
	2.4.1 Historical Predisposition	54
	2.4.2 Transparency in the Bulgarian Procurement Legislation	60
	2.5 Concluding Observations	64
	Bibliography	68
	Chapter 3: Corruption – Definition and Characteristics	70
	3.1 The Reasons for This Chapter	70
	3.2 Corruption – Common Definitions	71
	3.2.1 Forms of Corruption	72
	3.2.2 Origins	74
	3.2.3 Causes and Consequences	76
	3.2.4 International Organisations Against Corruption	76
	3.3 Corruption in Figures	77
	3.4 Corruption in Government Procurement – A Global Review	78
	3.5 Members States with Higher Levels of Corruption – The Example of Bulgaria	82
	3.5.1 Historical Explanation of the Predisposition to Corruption	82
	3.5.2 Economic Factors for Corruption in Bulgaria	86
	3.5.3 Corruption in Bulgaria in Figures	88
	CPI	88
	CMS	90
	3.5.4 Corruption in Government Procurement	92
	3.6 Concluding Observations	94
	Bibliography	94
	Chapter 4: The Public Procurement System in Bulgaria: Authorities, Participants, Control and Achievements	96
	4.1 What Is Examined, and Why?	96
	4.2 The Participants	97
	4.2.1 Contracting Authorities	97
	4.2.2 Bidders	99
	4.3 Authorities Involved in the Public Procurement Process. Controlling and Appellate Authorities	100
	4.3.1 Council of Ministers	100
	4.3.2 Controlling Authorities	100
	The Public Procurement Agency	102
	National Audit Office and Public Financial Inspection Agency	106
	4.3.3 Appellate Authorities	111
	Commission for Protection of Competition	112
	Supreme Administrative Court	113
	4.4 Why Not Less Burdensome But More Effective?	115
	4.5 Some Warriors in the Uneven War Against Corruption in Bulgarian Public Procurement	116
	4.5.1 Who Are They?	117
	4.5.2 Center for the Study of Democracy	118
	4.5.3 Transparency International in Bulgaria	120
	4.5.4 The BORKOR Project – An Attempt to Transfer German Experience in Bulgaria	125
	Pre-qualification	128
	Central Public Procurement Services	129
	4.6 Where Does Bulgaria Stand Now?	133
	Bibliography	134
	Chapter 5: Infringements in Procurement Procedures. Corruption Loopholes and Practices	136
	5.1 Methodology	136
	5.2 Statistics	138
	5.3 Types of Infringements and Incidents of Corruption	142
	5.3.1 Choice of Object Phase	142
	Disbursement of Public Funds Without Regard to Legal Rules	142
	Splitting/Subdividing Public Procurements with the Purpose of Evading the Law	144
	Unsubstantiated Implementation of a Negotiated Procedure Without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice	148
	5.3.2 Announcement Phase	151
	Setting Very Short Time Limits for Tender Preparation	151
	Lack of Coordination Between Documents	153
	Inclusion of Selection Criteria and/or Technical Specifications Which Unreasonably Restrict Participation in the Procurement or Offer an Advantage to One of the Tenderers/Candidates	155
	Mixing Up Selection and Contract Award Criteria	160
	Infringement of, and Changes in, the Evaluation Methodology	162
	5.3.3 Procedure Conduct Phase	166
	Unjustified Cancellation or Continuance of Procedure on Behalf of Contracting Authorities	166
	Participation and Award to ‘Related Parties’. Conflict of Interest. Bid Rigging	169
	Unreasonably Favourable Offers	171
	5.3.4 Contract Implementation Phase	174
	Unwarranted Amendments in the Course of Implementation of Public Procurement Contracts	174
	5.4 One Verdict, Among ... Few	177
	5.4.1 Background	177
	5.4.2 Infringements Found	178
	Inclusion of Requirements Which Unreasonably Restrict Participation in the Procurement and/or Offer an Advantage to One of the Tenderers	178
	Infringement of, and Changes to, the Evaluation Methodology	179
	Unjustified Elimination of Tenderers and Continuing the Procedure with Only One Candidate	179
	5.5 Findings and Future Challenges	181
	5.5.1 Relevant Conclusions	181
	5.5.2 New Legislative Decisions – New Corruption Loopholes	182
	Reserved Awards	183
	Preliminary Market Consultations	184
	Self-Cleaning Mechanism	184
	Bibliography	186
	Chapter 6: The German Procurement System – A Successful Battle Against Corruption	187
	6.1 Benchmarking Mechanism	187
	6.2 Why Germany?	189
	6.2.1 Legislative Similarities	189
	6.2.2 Corruption Level	189
	6.2.3 Public Procurement System	192
	6.2.4 Socioeconomic Differences	193
	6.3 Main Characteristics of the German Public Procurement System – Applicable Legislation	196
	6.4 Main Principles. Transparency Obligations	198
	6.5 The Integrity Pact as a Tool to Optimise Transparency and Curb Corruption	200
	6.6 Contracting Authorities Under GWB	202
	6.7 Procedures	202
	6.8 Award Criteria	204
	6.9 Appeal	205
	6.10 Corruption in Public Procurement and the German Way to Combat It	210
	6.10.1 Corruption Prevention Legislation	210
	6.10.2 Anticorruption Strategies and Institutions	212
	6.11 Successful Pillars to Raise Against Corruption in the Award of Public Contracts	214
	6.11.1 Adequate Legislative Decisions Providing Clear and Unambiguous Rules	215
	6.11.2 Modernised and Facilitated Conduct of Procurement Procedures	221
	6.11.3 Centralised Procurement	225
	6.12 Lessons to Be Learned from Germany	228
	Bibliography	230
	Chapter 7: Public Procurement in Austria – Reforms Limiting Corruption	232
	7.1 Why Austria?	232
	7.1.1 Legislative Similarities	232
	7.1.2 Corruption Level	234
	7.1.3 Public Procurement System	236
	7.1.4 Socioeconomic Differences	237
	7.2 Main Characteristics of the Austrian Public Procurement System – Applicable Legislation	240
	7.3 Main Principles. Transparency Obligations	243
	7.4 Contracting Authorities Under BVergG	246
	7.5 Procedures	251
	7.6 Award Criteria	253
	7.7 Appeal	255
	7.8 Corruption Prevention	261
	7.8.1 Corruption Prevention Legislation	262
	7.8.2 Responsible Bodies	265
	7.8.3 Other Anticorruption Efforts in Public Procurement	270
	7.9 What Can Be Borrowed from Austria?	272
	Bibliography	274
	Chapter 8: Conclusions	276
	8.1 Groups of Conclusions	276
	8.1.1 Transparency Principle Efficiency Against Corruption	276
	8.1.2 Control and Appellate Authorities Effectiveness	279
	8.1.3 Outline of Good Practices	280
	8.2 Recommendations	284