SERVICE CONCESSIONS IN THE EU

Almost thirty years have passed since the European Commission first tried to include service concessions within the scope of application of the European Public Procurement Directives. This process culminated in the approval of Directive 2014/23/EU of 26 February 2014 on the award of concession contracts, which is nevertheless an initial step towards consolidating the idea of harmonizing concession contracts in a European context. The latter is the most significant new element in the fourth generation of procurement directives and it aims to create a legal framework to ensure non-discrimination and fair access to the European market, as well as EU-wide competition for high-value concessions. This book offers ten country reports (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom) which describe the diverse national legislations passed in order to adequately implement Directive 2014/23/EU. It also provides an analysis of key aspects of the new legal regime such as its scope of application, the concept of operating risk, concession duration and method of calculation, and so on. It is hoped that this work will enhance the reader s understanding of service concessions, facilitate comparative analyses and stimulate further research in the field.