This Communication does, however, not aim to conclude the debate on PPPs and Community law on public procurement and concessions. Experience with PPPs is steadily increasing. All players, including the national authorities and the Commission, are continuously learning from practical experiences with applying EC law to such partnerships. While this process should not prevent the Commission from taking initiatives to address any shortcomings of the existing legal framework perceived today, discussions between Commission departments and stakeholders involved in the development of PPPs need to continue at all levels and the planned impact assessment will attempt to take this continuing dialogue into account.8
These discussions will continue in existing Committees at Commission level, where public procurement experts9 and Member States'10 representatives11 meet, through participation in conferences on PPPs and public procurement and by means of direct contacts between Commission officials and PPP experts. In addition, there appears to be a general consensus among national PPP Task Forces that infrastructure development could be further improved if the public sector had a more effective means of sharing existing experiences in PPP policy, programme development and project implementation. The Task Forces are therefore giving consideration, in association with the European Investment Bank, to establishing a European PPP Expertise Centre. The Commission would in principle welcome such an initiative.
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8 In this context, particular consideration should be given to questions relating to PPPs established to build and operate cross-border infrastructures.
9 Advisory Committee on the Opening-up of Public Procurement set up under Commission Decision 87/305/EEC.
10 In accordance with the arrangements for the interim period, the Committees not only include Member State representatives but also observers from the Acceding States (Bulgaria and Romania).
11 Advisory Committee for Public Works Contracts set up under Council Decision 71/306/EEC.