The long-awaited draft amendment to Act No. 343/2015 Coll. on Public Procurement introduces several significant changes. The changes should take effect from January 1, 2022. The amendment is currently in the final stage of the interdepartmental consultation process.

The planned changes to be introduced by the amendment include:

• change to public procurement limits (an increase in the lower limit for below-threshold contracts, which will result in an increase in the upper limit of low-value contracts; an increase in the limit for the so-called small-scale contracts from EUR 5,000 to EUR 10,000);

• change in the definition of “subsidized entity” pursuant to Section 8 of the Public Procurement Act, as one of the possible contracting authorities;

• new rules on electronic public procurement;

• changes to the rules for objecting to public procurement (a ban on a manifestly unfounded objection should be introduced);

• introduction of new rules concerning the so-called green public procurement.

The amendment has yet to be approved by the National Council of the Slovak Republic.