Graduates of the course Public Procurement for Public Values: Green, Social and Ethical Dimensions in EU Law will possess a solid and critically informed understanding of the European Union public procurement framework and its capacity to advance environmental, social and ethical objectives beyond mere economic efficiency. They will be able to analyse the legal foundations of EU procurement law, including the relevant Directives and case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, and to assess how principles such as competition, equal treatment, proportionality and non-discrimination interact with value-based policy goals. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to identify and apply legal instruments—such as technical specifications, award criteria and contract performance clauses—to integrate sustainability, labour standards, animal welfare, fair trade and innovation objectives into procurement procedures, while evaluating associated legal and strategic risks. Through case studies, simulations and comparative perspectives, they will have developed practical skills in designing responsible tender documents and critically assessing national approaches across Europe. Overall, they will be equipped to engage analytically and creatively with the role of public procurement as a governance tool for advancing public interest objectives within the constraints of EU internal market law.
- Bachelor
- Language and culture
- English
- In person
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Public Procurement for Public Values: Green, Social and Ethical Dimensions in EU Law
This course explores how public procurement law can serve broader public values beyond economic efficiency. It focuses on the legal and policy tools available under EU law to integrate environmental, social, and ethical criteria into procurement procedures. Students will examine how procurement procedures can be used to promote sustainability, labour rights, animal welfare, fair trade, and green innovation, and what legal boundaries and obligations are set by EU directives and case law.
Using real-life examples, comparative perspectives, and interactive methods, the course equips students to critically assess how law enables (or constrains) the pursuit of public interest goals through procurement. No prior legal training is required – the course begins with an accessible introduction to public procurement law.
- Introduction to public procurement: aims, principles, and key legal sources (EU Directives, national transpositions)
- Green Public Procurement (GPP): climate targets, life-cycle costing, innovation procurement
- Socially Responsible Procurement: inclusion of social clauses, fair labour, SMEs, and vulnerable groups
- Ethical Procurement: animal welfare, fair trade, due diligence in supply chains
- Legal tools: technical specifications, selection and award criteria, performance conditions
- Case law from the Court of Justice of the EU
- Comparative practices (e.g., Sweden, Slovenia, Spain)
- Legal limits: non-discrimination, proportionality, internal market obligations
- Controversies: greenwashing, strategic litigation, ethics vs. effectiveness
Course pre-requisite(s): None. However, a basic understanding of public administration or EU law may be beneficial.
INDIVIDUAL TUITION FEES
EARLY BIRD PRICE REGULAR PRICE
(Applications received until 10/05/2026) (Applications received after 10/05/2026)
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 450€ 650€
PROFESSIONALS AND
STUDENTS FROM THE NETWORK 150€ 300€
OF SPANISH UNIVERSITIES (CRUE)
UDC STUDENTS 60€ * 120€