FEATURES OF EU PUBLIC PROCUREMENT IN THE CONDITIONS OF DIGITALIZATION

Abstract

Nowadays, it is difficult to find a sphere of social relations that has not been touched by digitalization processes. The organization of unified digital information platforms, the use of end-to-end digital technologies contribute to the improvement of mechanisms and the improvement of the quality of public administration. In general, the development of digital technologies creates the basic prerequisites for building a model of public administration that is more in line with the global challenges and risks of the development of modern society. Digitalization gives a powerful impetus to the development of social relations, while in some areas they develop so quickly that law-making increasingly lags behind the pace of social development, which creates areas that fall out of legal regulation. However, public procurement is an example of an area of regulation where electronic tools and automation mechanisms have begun to be implemented first. It is important to emphasize that it is not just about the imposition of electronic tools on the already existing system of public procurement, but rather about the transformation of the mechanism of procurement procedures, which was formed in order to make the most of the advantages that electronic tools provide. That is why it is necessary to talk not about the "electronicization" of public procurements, but about their "digitalization", that is, the transition to a qualitatively new stage of conducting public procurements. Along with the technical side of the issue, the digitalization of public procurement involves a change in the mindset of customers, suppliers, contractors, and executors, since the ultimate goal of this process is the complete abandonment of paper procedures and paper contracts. Digitization of public procurement is aimed at making it easier for businesses (in particular, small and medium-sized enterprises) to participate in public procurement and to facilitate the procedures for public procurement. Electronic tools will make public procurement more transparent and result-oriented. Digitization will shorten the terms of procurement procedures and eliminate a number of administrative barriers. The obvious advantages of digitization of public procurement could not go unnoticed at the EU level.