EU's newly-opened procurement market should increase business opportunities for U.S. exporters

Business America, June, 1995 by Bob Straetz

In addition, the 1995 Title VII report stated that the U.S. Government was concerned with the lack of transparent procurement procedures in Germany, in particular by the way Germany has implemented the U.S.-EU Memorandum of Understanding on Government Procurement. The finding stems mainly from the allegation made by General Electric that it was unfairly eliminated from the final stage of bidding by the German utility cartel, VEAG, in the Lippendorf Project. The United States will monitor German actions to transpose into German law the EU Utilities and Remedies Directives. The United States will also track pending procurements under the MOU, including the extent to which efforts are made to resolve Ge's claims in the Lippendorf case.

Commerce Department "Early Alert opportunity Program"

Shortly after the United States and European Union reached a Memorandum of Understanding opening each other's markets in the heavy electrical equipment sector for utilities procurement, the Commerce Department started the "Early Alert Opportunity Program." Some 80 companies which sell equipment in the power generation, distribution and transmission sectors to utilities and which are interested in exporting to the EU signed up for this program. These companies receive leads of EU supply, works, and services tenders from the Commerce Department's Office of European Union and Regional Affairs, which receives the information mainly from the U.S. Mission to the European Union and in some cases from U.S. Embassies in European countries.

The U.S. Embassy in London held an "Electric Utilities Power Generation" Conference in June 1994 to help U.S. firms sell in the newly-opened European market. The Embassy rated the conference as a big success and the U.S. firms at the event also stated the event proved valuable in their marketing efforts. Other conferences in Europe to promote the sale of equipment and services by U.S. suppliers to EU utilities may take place this year.