Main headlines from this issue

Positives HARD to find in EC’s review of Directive 2009/81/EC; EC promises guidance on exclusions and subcontracting

The European Commission has presented a review of the implementation of Directive 2009/81/EC. The Staff Working Document, delivered to the European Parliament and the European Council, finds that member states still “seem to use” offsets “to some extent,” and “the frequency of such requirements seems to have marginally decreased.” Member states are “presumably” relying on Article 346 TFEU.....

Polish industry benefits from Sikorsky contract with Chile

Sikorsky is to provide the Chilean Air Force with six Black Hawk helicopters supplied by the Polish aerospace manufacturer PZL Mielec. Values have not been disclosed.

Australia mandates preference for suppliers that provide advantage to the Australian economy

Australia has secured crossbench support for important changes to its ‘Commonwealth Procurement Rules’. The new rules include a requirement to consider the “economic benefit of the procurement to the Australian economy” when purchasing goods worth more than A$4m ($3m).

Crawford-Browne calls for Armscor to be closed down

When Armscor CEO Kevin Wakeford declared that a proposed “turnaround process” would allow the company to sustain itself financially, his statement did not receive universal acclaim. Activist Terry Crawford-Browne thundered that Armscor is unfixable and poured scorn on Armscor’s offset proficiency.

Public Private Partnerships in the GCC face ‘make or break’ in 2017

Members of the Gulf Co-Operation Council are now looking for ways to implement public-private procurements or have already announced their intention to do so. That is despite a number of false starts that have led observers to believe that the PPP procurement model won't work in those markets, says the law firm DLA Piper.