The Transport, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry said on June 25 that it rejects criticism levelled by the European Commission, which plans to take Slovakia to the Court of Justice over a public procurement for legal counselling provided to the ministry with regards to highway construction, the TASR newswire wrote.
The Transport Ministry allegedly violated EU rules in 2007, when it repealed a contract with one company providing legal advice and signed a new one a few weeks later with a different company while failing to comply with the EU’s legal procedures for public procurements.
“The ministry proceeded with the change of advisory company via a public procurement process in full accordance with valid legislation – the Public Procurements Act, which also incorporates European legislation,” ministry spokesman Stanislav Jurikovič told the TASR newswire, adding that the ministry sees no reason for a change.
According to the European Commission, Slovakia violated the rules by not extending the tender on legal counselling to cover the entire EU. The Commission filed a complaint against Slovakia because it wants to implement measures “to secure fair access to public bids”. In October 2009, the Commission called on Slovakia to adjust its legislation in accordance with European legal regulations. As the European Commission has received no satisfactory reply to date, it made a decision to file a complaint.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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