In case you are interested in the Inter-American Development Bank’s policies on sanctions and debarments, please join us in a webinar on 27 November. The webinar is being organized by PUC-RIO together with BMA and BLOMSTEIN. We are very happy that IDB’s Juan Ronderos will be joining us.

The subject of cybersecurity has gained in importance within Germany and the European Union. There is a growing need to protect the digital market, and players’ IT systems therein, against cybersecurity threats. In the last two years, 68% of enterprises have registered cybersecurity attacks against them. According to the President of the German Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Informationstechnologie or BSI), the number of malware programs that we currently know of in Germany (roughly 800 million) grows each day by 390,000. Consequently, European and German legislators have taken measures in order to strengthen cybersecurity, thereby imposing a multitude of new obligations on EU Member States and enterprises. This briefing aims to provide an overview of the most relevant cybersecurity legislation and the requirements affected parties must meet.

Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important. In the wake of cyberattacks on the German parliament, the foreign office and on prominent public figures, there is now greater awareness of the need for the state and companies to protect the integrity of their existing IT systems. The following article explains how a public contracting entity can achieve a higher standard of cybersecurity through its procurement procedures. Another related article provides an overview of some of the particularities that arise in the procurement of cybersecurity goods and services.

Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important. In the wake of cyberattacks on the German parliament, the foreign office, and on prominent public figures, there is now greater awareness of the need for the State and companies to protect the integrity of their existing IT systems. The following article will provide an overview of some of the particularities that arise in the procurement of cybersecurity goods and services. Another article explains how a public contracting entity can achieve a higher standard of cybersecurity in its procurement procedures.

Strengthening cooperation in defence and security procurement among member States has become an important concern of the European Union. Last year, the Commission addressed the issue of joint procurement in the defence and security sector in a separate guidance note. The Commission stressed the need for more cooperation in order to reduce costs, promote cross-border competition and facilitate cooperation between the European armed forces. In particular due to PESCO and the EDF, more joint procurement procedures are to be expected.

On 22 September 2020, the first session of the Fifth International Debarment Colloquium hosted by the World Bank Office of Suspension and Debarment and IBA’s Debarment and Exclusions Subcommittee was held virtually. BLOMSTEIN partner Roland Stein was invited to speak as a panellist about the EU’s exclusion system.

BLOMSTEIN appeared successfully before the Higher Regional Court (HRC) Düsseldorf for the Falck-Group. As a result, a submission to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will finally clarify controversial and fundamental legal questions with regard to the award of rescue services. The Court’s decision on these legal questions will significantly influence the market for rescue services. The ultimate aim is to clarify whether private service providers in Germany will have a realistic chance of fair competition concerning public procurement in this market segment.

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On 13 February 2020 the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of International Law (SIL) Anti-Corruption Committee and the ABA Public Contract Law Section (PCLS) Suspension and Debarment Committee offer a dial-in conference call. The committees come together for an informal lunchtime session to discuss recent developments in international debarment.

Roland M. Stein, Pascal Friton and Hans-Joachim Prieß have been recognised as leading experts in public procurement law in the Who’s Who Legal: Government Contracts edition once again. Furthermore, Roland M. Stein and Pascal Friton are listed as Global Elite Thought Leaders. They are hereby the only German lawyers featured in this list.

The World Bank has published a systematic study of exclusion systems. The study presents different suspension and debarment systems.