·
Parties
to the Government
Procurement Agreement (GPA) 2012 welcomed Uruguay as the 39th observer
during the Committee on Government Procurement meeting held on 24 June.
·
Ambassador
Gabriel Bellón Marrapodi
stated that Uruguay’s observer status will help it:
o Understand how the GPA operates
o Exchange experiences with other members
o Learn international best practices in
government procurement
·
Uruguay’s
participation reflects its interest in studying the experiences of existing GPA
2012 parties before further engagement.
·
The
Committee reviewed the accession processes of several economies, including:
o Albania
o China
o Costa Rica
o Kazakhstan
o Kyrgyz Republic
o Timor-Leste
·
Timor-Leste
informed members that it had formed a negotiating team and would soon begin
preparing its initial market access offer.
·
The
Committee discussed implementation-related concerns under the GPA 2012:
o The United
States raised concerns over Canadian federal procurement
policies introduced in December 2025.
o These policies provide preferences for
Canadian goods, services, and suppliers in federal government procurement.
·
The
United States also raised concerns regarding amendments to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal
Procurement Inquiry Regulations published in November 2025.
·
Eight
other GPA parties supported similar concerns regarding Canada’s procurement
measures.
·
The
United States further highlighted concerns over procurement restrictions
introduced by three Canadian provinces since 2025, which it said could
disadvantage US suppliers.
·
Canada
responded that it remained committed to dialogue with GPA partners and would
continue considering the concerns raised.
·
A side
event was organised by the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to mark the 10th anniversary of Moldova and Ukraine
joining the GPA 2012.
·
Representatives
from Moldova and Ukraine shared their experiences on:
o GPA accession negotiations
o Implementation of procurement standards
o Domestic government procurement reforms
·
Deputy
Director-General Johanna Hill highlighted Moldova
and Ukraine as examples of economies that used GPA membership to strengthen
procurement systems and improve governance.
·
The
meeting emphasized that the GPA 2012 provides not only market access opportunities
but also supports transparency,
international standards, and good governance in public procurement systems.
[ABS News Service/27.06.2026]
At
a meeting of the Committee on Government Procurement on 24 June, parties to the
Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) 2012 welcomed Uruguay as its 39th observer.
The Committee also discussed accessions to the GPA 2012 and issues concerning implementation
of the Agreement. A side event marked the 10th anniversary of Moldova and Ukraine
becoming parties to the GPA 2012.
New observer
Uruguay
participated for the first time in the Committee as its most recent observer. Speaking
at the meeting, Ambassador Gabriel Bellón Marrapodi stated
that Uruguay's observer status "represents a valuable opportunity to continue
deepening its understanding of how the Agreement operates, to exchange experiences,
and to continue examining international best practices in this area". According
to Ambassador Bellón Marrapodi, Uruguay's participation
as an observer also reflects its interest in "gaining a better understanding
of the experience of the parties to the Agreement".
Accessions and regulatory developments
The
Committee discussed the accession processes of Albania, China, Costa Rica, Kazakhstan,
the Kyrgyz Republic and Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste stated that it had established
a negotiating team and would soon initiate the preparations for its initial market
access offer.
Regarding
GPA implementation issues, the United States again raised concerns with federal-level
Canadian policies that entered into force in December 2025. These policies grant
preferences for Canadian goods, services and suppliers in federal government procurement
activities and amendments published in November 2025 to the Canadian International
Trade Tribunal Procurement Inquiry Regulations. Eight other GPA parties expressed
similar concerns.
The
United States additionally reiterated concerns about procurement restrictions implemented
by three Canadian provinces since 2025 that it said appear to discriminate against
US suppliers. Canada responded that it remained committed to further engagement
with its GPA 2012 partners and would continue to reflect on the views expressed.
GPA membership anniversaries
The
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an international organization
observer to the Committee, organized a side-event on the margins of the Committee
meeting to mark the tenth anniversary of Moldova and Ukraine becoming parties to
the GPA 2012. This high-level event saw contributions from deputy ministers, heads
of domestic review bodies, WTO ambassadors and private sector from the two economies.
Moldova
and Ukraine shared their experiences regarding accession negotiations and implementation
of GPA 2012 standards. They also referred to government procurement reforms and
other benefits since their accession.
Deputy
Director-General Johanna Hill cited Moldova and Ukraine as examples of economies
that have used membership in the GPA 2012 to secure significant reforms in their
domestic government procurement systems. She added: "The GPA 2012 is about
more than market access; it is equally about leveraging international best practice
rules to improve and safeguard good governance."