 EC COMMISSION PLANS TO OPEN UP PUBLIC CONTRACTS
The European Community executive
Commission today announced plans to open up government
contracts to companies throughout the 12-country bloc.
    Internal Market commissioner Lord Cockfield told a news
conference the Commission will shortly make proposals to open
up contracts awarded by state-owned utilities such as
telecommunications, transport, energy and water.
    About 400 billion European Currency Units worth of
contracts are awarded by governments and public bodies in the
EC every year. The Commission says only 20 pct of these are
open to competition from outside the country.
 REUTER
