The Administrative Archetype of Public Contracts: from Vehicle to Obstacle for the Emergence of the Internal Market

Notwithstanding the ever-changing character of the European regulation of public contracts, its administrative nucleus remains untouched. The symbiotic relationship of the sector with the objective of the creation of the internal market allows an examination of the sufficiency of free movement law, cloaked as administrative law, as a tool for market integration. In particular, even though during the early days of Community integration, the administrative archetype constituted the only way forward legitimising the European intervention on the field, the “administrativisation” of key concepts of the sector led to a negative interaction of the secondary legislation with other integration tools, such as competition and State aid rules. 

A sandwich lunch will be available from 12.30. The meeting will begin at 1pm.