Law no. 162, dated 23 December 2020 on public procurement.

This Law here defines the rules for procurement procedures by authorities and entities that figure as contractors for public contracts and designated competitions. Procurement, according to the meaning of this Law, is the purchase of works, supply of goods or services through a public contract by one or more authorities or entities that are contractors for economic operators who are selected by these authorities or contracting entities, whether or not the works, supplies of goods or services are used for public purposes. The purpose of this Law is: a) to increase efficiency and effectiveness in public procurement procedures; b) to ensure good use of public funds and reduce procedural costs; c) to promote the participation of economic operators in public procurement procedures; d) promote competition between economic operators; e) to ensure an equal and non-discriminatory treatment for all economic operators, participants in public procurement procedures; f) ensure integrity, public trust and transparency in public procurement procedures. Contracting authorities and entities shall guarantee equal and non-discriminatory treatment for economic operators, as well as act transparently and proportionally. Authorities and contracting entities are obliged to implement the obligations defined in environmental, social and labor legislation and in the provisions of agreements and conventions of international character.
The text is divided into seventeen main thematic Chapters and a total of 136 articles. Titles of Chapters are as follows: I. General provisions; II. Scope and exceptions; III. Specific situation; IV. General procurement rules; V. Institutional framework of public procurement; VI. General rules and preparation of the procurement process; VII. Procurement procedures; VIII. Procurement tools; IX. Notices and transparency; X. Procurement of sectoral contracts; XI. Execution of procedures; XII. Social services and other special services; XIII. Design competition; XIV. Administrative appeal; XV. Enforcement of contracts; XVI. Administrative investigation; XVII. Transitional and final provisions.
Gas and heating related provisions are laid down in article 60 (applies to the following activities in the gas and heating sector: the provision or use of networks, which aim to provide the public with services for production, transport or distribution of gas or heat; gas or heating supply of these networks). Electricity procurement is defined in article 61 (applies to the following activities in the electricity sector: a) the provision or use of networks, which aim to provide the public with services for production, transport or distribution of electricity; b) supplying these networks with electricity; Electricity supply of fixed networks, which provide service to the public from an entity contractor, other than a contracting authority, and other); Article 62 regulates water related issues (there provisions shall apply to the several activities in the water sector, such as the provision or use of networks, which aim to provide the public with services for the production, transport or distribution of drinking water; drinking water supply of these networks; also hydraulic engineering, irrigation or land drainage projects, drinking water supply of fixed networks, and other).