New law: Regional products conquer schools and daycare centers!

New law: Regional products conquer schools and daycare centers!

Today, on July 14, 2025, the state parliament passed an important omnibus law that has far-reaching effects on regional procurement. swz.it reports that the newly introduced regulation allows public institutions, including schools, kindergartens and canteens, to purchase agricultural products directly from local businesses. With a maximum value of 20,000 euros per year and company, purchasing regional products is significantly simplified.

This initiative not only serves to strengthen the regional economy, but also promotes ecological and economic sustainability. By directly addressing local businesses, there is growing hope of strengthening economic cycles in the region and at the same time shortening transport routes. According to awblog.at, public procurement in the EU accounts for around 14 percent of gross domestic product. Regional purchasing not only secures jobs, but has also proven to be a valuable approach to reducing the ecological footprint.

Opportunities for the region

The opportunity to buy directly from farms opens up new perspectives for numerous institutions and strengthens regional identity. In addition, the new regulations will make the awarding of public contracts more transparent, which is not only fair but also sustainable. bundeswirtschaftsministerium.de emphasizes that public clients can also prescribe environmentally friendly production processes in the service descriptions. Examples of this include purchasing certified organic products and purchasing sustainable electricity.

A broader use of regional products also has positive effects on food quality. Consumers can access fresh and sustainably produced food, which improves the range of healthy meals available in schools and kindergartens. “The Alliance for Sustainable Procurement” was launched in 2010 to increase the proportion of sustainable products in public purchasing and to promote the exchange of best practices.

Legal basis and future prospects

The present regulations enable sustainable procurement strategies to become more clearly visible in all areas in the future. Austria has already implemented comprehensive measures to promote sustainable procurement. These range from defining clear sustainability standards to supporting innovative purchasing processes. As noted in the report by the European Court of Auditors, acceptance of offers that only focus on the lowest price is becoming increasingly rare in Austria. This shows that a rethinking of public procurement is already taking place.

In the near future, the EU Commission will evaluate the existing procurement law processes to ensure that sustainability criteria are clearly taken into account when awarding contracts. The effort to achieve greater regional integration and the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remains a central concern in order to support economic vitality in the region.

In summary, it can be seen that the new omnibus law not only addresses society's current needs, but also offers future-oriented solutions. At a time when sustainability is more in focus than ever, the potential of regional sourcing is becoming noticeable. Not only local farmers benefit here, but ultimately the entire community, which benefits from fresh and healthy food.