Η ΕΝΣΩΜΑΤΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΣΤΟΛΟΓΗΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΥΚΛΟΥ ΖΩΗΣ (LIFE – CYCLE COSTING / LCC) ΣΤΟ ΚΟΙΝΟΤΙΚΟ ΔΙΚΑΙΟ ΔΗΜΟΣΙΩΝ ΣΥΜΒΑΣΕΩΝ

Abstract

In light of the efforts made by EU to achieve the priorities and targets set in the Europe 2020 strategy the public procurement sector has to undergo a radical modernisation. This modernisation is projected in the articles of the new Public Procurement Directives (2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU) where it is stated that contracting authorities shall base the award of public contracts on the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). The most economically advantageous tender may be identified on the basis of the price or cost, assessing the quality vs. price ratio or the effectiveness vs. cost ratio while using price or cost only as the sole award criterion (lowest price criterion) in some exceptions. Thereon the tool of life cycle costing is introduced, as the main method in the process of determining the optimal cost of contracts to be awarded and taking into account not only economic criteria but environmental criteria as well. This study makes use of the method of the independent literature review for both foreign and native language bibliography and articles upon subjects such as public contracts, the notions of "sustainable development" and "innovation" and the use of life-cycle costing as a tool for the economic evaluation of an asset, in order to a) present the LCC tool and its application in public procurement and b) map both the rationale underlying the integration of LCC with the rules of contracts (such as promoting innovation and sustainable development, enhancing environmental and social aspects in procurement, long-term cost reduction for public contracts, etc.), and the maturation process of the idea of using LCC tool up to the institutionalisation within the European legal framework for public procurement. Subsequently the requirements/prospects as well as the conditions under which the Greek contracting authorities to make use of this tool are assessed using means of methodical observation in order to draft a proposal for the formation of a special synergy model that will aim for the faster, easier and more flexible integration of LCC tool in the national framework of public procurement.