The Italian economic newspaper ItaliaOggi featured the research “Professionalisation of Public Procurement in Europe”, promoted by ASSORUP and conducted across 32 European countries, in its 14 October 2026 edition.
The article, entitled “Appalti, l’Europa viaggia a più velocità” (Public Procurement: Europe Moves at Different Speeds), examines the significant disparities between European national systems regarding professional recognition, training and competence certification in public procurement.
According to the research, public procurement generally represents between 12% and 20% of national GDP, highlighting the strategic importance of professionalising those responsible for managing public expenditure.
Despite this economic significance, the study reveals a highly fragmented European landscape.
Professional recognition remains uneven across EU Member States. Only 9 countries have established a legally defined professional role in public procurement, while in the remaining 18 Member States responsibilities are generally distributed across administrative offices, departments or multidisciplinary teams.
Competence certification represents another major challenge. Only 5 EU countries — Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania and Slovakia — have implemented mandatory certification systems. Nine countries have adopted partial or voluntary arrangements, while 13 have no certification requirements.
Significant differences also emerge in professional education and continuous training. Mandatory training is required in only 9 Member States, with considerable variations in training structures, professional development requirements and available incentives.
Italy is identified as having a comparatively structured regulatory framework. Legislative Decree No. 36/2023 assigns extensive responsibilities to the Single Project Manager (Responsabile Unico del Progetto, RUP) throughout the procurement lifecycle and introduces mandatory continuous training for professionals involved in public procurement.
However, the research also identifies continuing challenges, including disparities in training quality and the availability of resources for professional development.
The European landscape is undergoing substantial changes: 10 Member States are implementing reforms, while another 5 have planned or proposed measures concerning training, certification, digitalisation and professional competences.
These findings contribute to the wider European debate on public procurement reform and professionalisation, which was also discussed during the EUPPM Conference 2026, held in Naples, Italy, from 15 to 17 October.
The research provides an important evidence base for strengthening professional standards, developing competences and promoting greater consistency across European public procurement systems.
Fonte / Source: ItaliaOggi, 14 ottobre / October 2026, p. 33.
Articolo / Article: “Appalti, l’Europa viaggia a più velocità”
Autore / Author: Giancarlo Strocchia.