Source: European Parliament
The Commission undertakes regular annual eProcurement workshops with Member States, to understand their current eProcurement services and monitor their operational effectiveness.
This proactive stance aims to ensure, as much as possible, the integrity and security of eProcurement systems across the EU. It also aims to maintain trust and transparency in public procurement processes and foster an environment where public procurement is conducted in a fair, efficient, and secure manner.
So far, throughout the duration of these workshops, no instances have been reported or discussed wherein buyers or suppliers have manipulated eProcurement services with the intention of altering bids. This suggests a high level of integrity within the existing eProcurement systems employed by Member States.
More specifically, regarding the incident in Sicily, the Commission has been in contact with Italian authorities and at this stage understands that potential irregularities appear not to result from the manipulation of the eProcurement service itself.
The Commission remains committed to pursuing further contacts with Italian authorities should investigatory procedures later uncover evidence of a security breach or malfunction within the eProcurement service used in Sicily.