03 Apr 19: A proposal to introduce stricter criteria for foreign bidders to access Europe’s multi-billion public procurement market remains deadlocked, as a strong majority of member states remain unconvinced about the benefits of the plan. The European Commission, supported by France, are trying to revive a proposal to introduce an International Procurement Instrument with the aim of bolstering EU defences against unfair practices of foreign countries. But national governments still have concerns about the introduction of penalties for companies …..