15 November 2020 – On 1 January 2021, the new procurement law comes into force at the federal level. This date marks a milestone: after ten years of cooperation between the Swiss Confederation and cantons, the legal bases used at the federal and cantonal levels have been harmonised and aligned with the revised WTO Government Procurement Agreement. As before, the legal bases are formed of two parallel enactments in the Federal Act on Public Procurement and the Intercantonal Agreement on Procurement by the Cantons, Districts and Communes. The two enactments have been totally restructured and adapted to current requirements (e-procurement, competition dialogue, effective and timely legal protection).

We are pleased to announce that the Handbook Commentary on Swiss Procurement Law is to be published in November 2020. It was written by practising experts for application in the field. Along with editor Hans Rudolf Trüeb, the Walder Wyss contributing team also included Micha Bühler, Nathalie Clausen, Regula Fellner, Pandora Kunz-Notter, Thomas P. Müller, Mirjam Olah, Sophie Regenfuss, Florian C. Roth, Felix Tuchschmid, Ramona Wyss, Daniel Zimmerli and Martin Zobl.

The handbook commentary is an indispensable guide for anyone involved in public procurement. and can be ordered from Schulthess Verlag.