Long before the current revision process began, CoESS, in partnership with its Social Partner UNI Europa, had been urging for a comprehensive overhaul of the Directive. Since 2022, both organizations have consistently highlighted that the current framework fails to promote socially responsible procurement and undermines service quality, especially in critical sectors like private security.

CoESS key demands for the revision are grounded in supporting the EU’s strategic goals:

• Fair Competition: mandatory compliance of bidders with labour and sectoral laws, including Collective Agreements, where they exist.

• Quality Employment: Promoting quality jobs with fair wages, adequate training, and good working conditions, thereby fostering inclusive economic growth.

• Sustainability: Ensuring public procurement contributes to achieving the objectives of the EU Green Deal.

• Innovation: Encouraging the integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as AI and drones, to enhance competitiveness and digital transformation of services.

• Resilience: Reinforcing the security of critical infrastructure and ensuring continuity of essential services, particularly in times of public emergencies.

To realize these goals, CoESS has submitted concrete legal proposals, including the introduction of mandatory quality-based awarding criteria. These aim to shift the focus from the lowest-cost bids to value-driven procurement practices that prioritize innovation, compliance, and societal benefit.

A Sector Perspective: The Urgency of Reform

Alexander Frank, Deputy Director General of CoESS, emphasizes the urgency of reform:

“The revision is much needed, because we still see not only abnormally low tenders in Europe, but notably that two-thirds of public contracts are awarded based solely on price. Numerous studies - including those by the European Court of Auditors and the European Parliament - confirm this continuing trend. This leads to a race to the bottom in wages, training, and overall service quality. For sectors like private security, which protects citizens and critical infrastructure, this is unacceptable.”

Mr. Frank further warns that hiring non-compliant contractors - those who bypass sectoral laws and Collective Agreements - can compromise public security by deploying undertrained, unvetted, or overworked personnel. “Quality should always prevail in services that directly impact public security,” he insists.

Engagement in the EU Policy Process

To support the EU revision process, CoESS is actively participating in several EU-level consultation mechanisms:

• A broad stakeholder consultation that concluded in March 2025.

• An upcoming Social Partner Hearing, providing a platform for deeper dialogue among EU Social Partners and the European Commission.

• Contributions to the ongoing European Parliament Report on the revision, which will impact the final proposal expected from the Commission around the end of 2025.

This inclusive and transparent approach by the European Commission has been welcomed by CoESS as an opportunity to embed resilience, compliance, and quality at the heart of EU public procurement.

As the EU moves toward modernizing its Public Procurement Directive, CoESS remains committed to ensuring that the revised framework empowers public authorities to contract responsibly, fairly, and with foresight. The stakes are high—not just for the private security industry, but for the resilience of the European economy.

The full CoESS position paper can be found here.