January 15 the European Parliament passed the European Union Public Procurement Directive (EUPPD) which among other things recommends the use of building information modelling (BIM) for public works contracts to enable more efficient construction and building projects in Europe. The next step is the vote adoption of the directive by 28 member states. Passage of the bill allows member states to encourage, specify or mandate the use of BIM for publicly funded construction and building projects in the EU by 2016.
A number of governments around the world have already mandated or otherwise encouraged BIM for public construction projects. In the EU the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Norway already require the use of BIM for publicly funded building projects.
Public authorities in the EU spend 18% of GDP on works, goods and services. Until now the objective was to get the lowest price. But with the new EUPPD rules, quality and sustainability criteria can also be taken into account. According to the EU parliament, the new legislation sets “common EU standards on concession contracts to boost fair competition and ensure best value for money by introducing new award criteria that place more emphasis on environmental considerations, social aspects and innovation”.
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