The LANDMARK project – moving towards socially responsible public procurement

Portugal, Germany and Spain

Promoting fair work conditions along the global supply chain

“Of course the taste of sugar does not vary depending on whether it was traded fairly or unfairly. A product placed on the market on unfair conditions does however leave a bitter taste in the mouth of a socially responsible customer.” Juliane Kokott, Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union, argued opinion from case C-368/10.

The LANDMARK project enabled European local authorities to act as key drivers for the promotion of fair working conditions in global supply chains for certain products purchased by the European public sector.

By changing the consumption patterns of public authorities, the living and working conditions of workers in Asia and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly those in the textiles, food, construction and electronics sectors will dramatically improve.

More about LANDMARK in www.landmark-project.eu/en/

TARGET GROUPS:

DIRECT:

  • At least 50 European local authorities (procurers, sustainability departments, policy-makers, local politicians) in the EU-27 and acceding countries (direct):
  • At least 75 development actors and trade unions functioning as multipliers (direct)

 

INDIRECT:

  • 12 manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, in developed and developing countries (indirect)
  • National governments (EU-27+), broader public and individual consumers (indirect)

 

OBJECTIVES

Overall: to enable local authorities to act as key drivers for the promotion of fair and decent work conditions in global supply chains and to improve the living and working conditions of workers in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Specific:

  • To establish suitable verification schemes for public procurement that allow for purchasing of products and services that have been produced in a social-responsible way.
  • To enable public servants to implement socially responsible procurement by providing the necessary know-how via training programmes.
  • To raise awareness of development issues related to decent work and fair trade in Europe

BENEFICIARIES:

  • Workers in producer countries and their families, in particular those working in the textiles, food, construction and electronics industries

 

 

MAIN ACTIVITIES:

  • Publishing a study on experiences with sustainable procurement and verification measures;
  • Developing an educational DVD, training programmes and materials and organising training courses for civil servants and train-the-train seminars and documenting good practice by publishing a set of practical case studies and promoting them internationally;
  • Research and commissioning of expertise on legal possibilities for developing mandatory criteria and controlling information provided by the bidders through developing appropriate verification schemes and supporting local authorities developing suitable tenders;
  • Enhance dialogue with key stakeholders such as local governments and manufacturers by organising a series of national workshops on specific product groups;
  • Broad dissemination activities, including awareness raising events for local authorities, multimedia shows, press conferences and workshops;

PARTNERS:

  • ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability (project co-ordinator), Germany,
  • Loures City Council, Portugal
  • World Economy, Ecology and Development (WEED), Germany
  • The Senator for Finances of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Germany
  • SETEM – Catalunya

 

 

VIDEOS:

Duration

  • 36 months: April 2011 to March 2014

Financing

  • European Union and Camões, I.P. (Portuguese Cooperation)