Skip to main content

Polish project procurement practice problems publicised

Concerns have been expressed regarding procurement practices in Poland for large infrastructure projects. Ulrich Paetzold, director general of FIEC, the European Construction Industry said, "Polish engineers and contractors continue to be concerned about the procurement rules and practices in the country despite recent changes in the procurement regulations and contract conditions." This comment followed a recent meeting between the FIEC and leading Polish consulting engineers and construction companies o
December 13, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Concerns have been expressed regarding procurement practices in Poland for large infrastructure projects. Ulrich Paetzold, director general of FIEC, the European Construction Industry said, "Polish engineers and contractors continue to be concerned about the procurement rules and practices in the country despite recent changes in the procurement regulations and contract conditions."

This comment followed a recent meeting between the FIEC and leading Polish consulting engineers and construction companies organised in Warsaw. Frank Kehlenbach, director of 1503 EIC, European International Contractors, added, "Whilst the recent PwC report on the state of the road construction industry depicts a rather bright picture of the way infrastructure development is handled by the Polish government and in particular by 1361 GDDKiA, consulting engineers and construction companies feel that further substantial improvement of the project and contract management is necessary."

The combination of poorly prepared tenders and unfairly modified FIDIC contract conditions, which do not comply with generally accepted international standards, has resulted in low efficiency of the national construction investment programmes and low socio-economic value. This in turn has led to massive litigation, bankruptcies and a loss of jobs in the construction sector. These developments also raise the risk of a negative impact on the image of Poland in the eyes of foreign investors, making the country less attractive for foreign direct investment.

FIEC and EIC are pressing the Polish government and contracting authorities to award public contracts on the criterion of the most economically advantageous tender, as foreseen in the new EU Procurement Directives, and to stop the current policy of shifting construction risk solely on to the industry.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Polish public procurement practices pilloried
    November 29, 2012
    Comments by the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) have thrown the spotlight on Polish public procurement practices. "We have never ever heard such outspoken criticism about procurement practice and contracting authorities in a single country by so many contractors from so many different enterprises and countries," commented Ulrich Paetzold, director general of FIEC.
  • Polish procurement practice problems publicised
    June 23, 2015
    A study reveals construction sector worries about public procurement practice in Poland. The study was commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure and Development. Ulrich Paetzold, director general of FIEC, the European Construction Industry Federation commented that the study on how 'to implement intervention priorities as foreseen by the National Development Strategy 2020', “…confirms yet again some of the fundamental problems repeatedly stressed over several years by contractors and consulting
  • Motorcycle type approval deal for Europe
    November 29, 2012
    The Members of the European Parliament have now approved the regulation on the approval of two- and three wheelers. This included a number of amendments which have been welcomed by motorcyclists as a compromise. The regulation is setting new rules and technical requirements for manufacturers who sell motorcycles in the European Union. The new rules were intended to improve safety for motorcyclists but in the original form, these would have been expensive to implement and would have resulted in substantial c
  • FIEC criticises contract awards and procurement practices
    January 20, 2014
    Europe’s contractors’ association, the FIEC, has criticised the EU’s new public procurement package, describing it as a missed opportunity. “The EU institutions did not seize the opportunity to solve one of the most severe shortcomings of the existing public procurement directives,” said Ulrich Paetzold, FIEC director general. “I mean by that the identification and treatment of abnormally low tenders, which is a real curse in the construction sector.” Today’s adoption by the European Parliament of the thre