Public Procurement, European Integration, and Sustainable Economic Development – The Cases of Croatia, Albania, the Czech Republic, and Romania

By Evis SHURDHA

Abstract
This study examines public procurement’s role in European integration and sustainable economic development across four post-socialist European countries: Croatia, Albania, the Czech Republic, and Romania. Relying on EU reports, technical documents, and other international sources, the analysis in this paper explores the progress and challenges in aligning legal and institutional procurement frameworks with EU standards, as well as their contribution to transparency, anti-corruption efforts, innovation, and sustainable economic development. Particular attention is paid to the strategic function of public procurement, which remains unevenly developed across the cases, particularly in Albania and Romania, thereby weakening the connection between public procurement planning and broader sustainable development goals. The findings suggest that despite formal harmonization with EU legislation, the implementation of good governance principles and strategic approaches remains challenging, especially where implementation capacity remains uneven, as in Albania and Romania.

Keywords: Public procurement; European integration; sustainable development;
strategic procurement; innovation procurement; governance; comparative analysis.