Regulation of public procurement in international trade in services

Abstract

The article analyzes the current regulatory system of public procurement of services. The article considers the relationship between commitments in trade in services under the General agreement on trade in services (GATS) and the obligations in services under the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). With the lack of the progress and the uncertainty about development of public procurement regulation of services at the multilateral level, countries tend to use free trade agreements to regulate these issues. The readiness of countries for deeper liberalization of public procurement contributed to inclusion of provisions on public procurement into regional trade agreements. Russia is expected to initiate talks on accession to the GPA in order to become an active participant in the global procurement market. Thus, the country needs to develop a clear and reliable strategy of participation in the agreement. While developing the strategy it is important to take into account Russian commitments in services under the GATS, as well as the requirements and conditions of the single services market within the Eurasian Economic Union.