| Abstract | Vrijednost javne nabave i njezin udio u BDP-u kontinuirano raste pa je tako u Republici
Hrvatskoj u 2020. godini, unatoč pandemijskim izazovima, vidljiv porast na preko 58,8
milijardi kuna i udio u BDP-u od 18,99 posto. Trošenje javnih sredstava kroz proces javne
nabave u ovako značajnom obimu i uz kontinuiranu uzlaznu putanju, nesporno se reflektira na
stanje u gospodarstvu ali istovremeno predstavlja i područje rizika nastanka sukoba privatnog
i javnog interesa koji može ugroziti zakonitost procesa javne nabave, već od faze planiranja
nabave pa sve do realizacije sklopljenih ugovora o javnoj nabavi.
Obzirom na takvu rizičnost područja javne nabave i neupitnu obvezu države da javnim
sredstvima upravlja na način da osigura njihovo učinkovito i efikasno korištenje, obveza je
države upravljati takvim rizicima i osigurati poštivanje temeljnih načela javne nabave, pri čemu
su nepristranost i neovisnost u procesima odlučivanja u javnoj nabavi ključna pravila u službi
istih načela.
Cilj istraživanja koje će se provesti u ovom radu je dokazati da su različiti pojavni oblici
povezanosti pojedinaca u odnosu na gospodarske subjekte u javnoj nabavi mogući, oni nisu
uvijek zabranjene društvene pojave, no u javnoj nabavi predstavljaju izvorišnu bazu moguće
zloupotrebe i stoga područje posebnog rizika koje zahtijeva pravovremeno i odgovarajuće
djelovanje. Na temelju istraživanja provedenog u ovom radu odgovorit će se na pitanje
mogućnosti utjecaja takvih odnosa u različitim fazama odlučivanja u procesu javne nabave,
kao i na odgovornost naručitelja za postupanje u slučajevima povezanosti koji imaju obilježja
sukoba interesa te na nužnu razmjernost u poduzimanju potrebnih mjera.
Ovo istraživanje pokazat će da su postojeća pravila i standardi u upravljanju sukobom interesa
u Republici Hrvatskoj vidljivo fragmentirani i s nedovoljnim razumijevanjem sukoba interesa
kao očekivane situacije koja se ne može uvijek spriječiti ali se s takvim odnosima mora
odgovarajuće upravljati, za što je pretpostavka pravodobno prepoznavanje složenosti takvih
situacija i rizika koji nosi istodobna prisutnost javnog i privatnog interesa na integritet i
zakonitost postupka javne nabave, a rješenje uspostava odgovarajućeg modela upravljanja
takvim situacijama |
| Abstract (english) | The value of public procurement and its share in GDP is constantly growing, so in the Republic
of Croatia in 2020., despite pandemic challenges, there is a visible increase to over HRK 58.8
billion and a share in GDP of 18.99 percent. In 2021. there is also a visible trend of an increase
in the number of concluded public procurement contracts. Spending public funds through the
public procurement process in such a significant volume and with a continuous upward
trajectory is undeniably reflecting on the state of the economy, but at the same time it also
represents an area of risk of conflicts of private and public interest that can threaten the legality
of the public procurement process, starting from the procurement planning stage and until the
realization of the concluded public procurement contracts.
Considering the riskiness of the public procurement area and the unquestionable obligation of
the state to manage public funds in such a way to ensure their effective and efficient use, it is
the state's obligation to manage such risks and ensure compliance with the fundamental
principles of public procurement, whereby impartiality and independence in decision-making
processes in public procurement are key rules in the service of the same principles.
The aim of the research to be conducted in this paper is to prove that different forms of
connection of individuals in relation to economic operators in public procurement are possible,
they are not always prohibited social phenomenon, but in public procurement they are the basis
of possible abuse and therefore the area of special risk that requires timely and appropriate
action. Even if such abuse does not occur, or there is no intention, and the same situation was
not recognized and removed by the contracting authority in a timely manner, or its influence on
the procedure in question was not removed, the integrity of the public procurement procedure
and making final decision is violated.
Therefore, the recognition of different forms of conflict of interest and its impact on public
procurement is a condicio sine qua non in assessing the appropriate preventive and mitigation
measures, whereby the exclusion of economic entities or their blocking of access to a particular
public procurement procedure, except in exceptional situations, is possible only as a last
measure that the contracting authority may take. Otherwise, it is an unjustified restriction of
market competition.
This research will show that the existing rules and standards in conflict of interest management
in the Republic of Croatia are visibly fragmented and with insufficient understanding of
conflicts of interest as an expected situation that cannot always be prevented but such
relationships must be properly managed.
Therefore, the subject of this research relates to the specifics of the Croatian legal system and
the steps that would be necessary to take further in the creation of future mechanisms and
measures for identifying situations of conflicts of interest and their management in the public
procurement system.
The research question to which the author will try to give an answer through this scientific
research is how different forms of connection between the individual and the economic
operators in different stages of the public procurement procedure can affect the necessary
objectivity and impartiality of the contracting authority in different stages of the decision-
making process in the public procurement process, as well as his responsibility for the action
and at the same time the necessary proportionality in taking appropriate measures.
So, the first thesis that the author will prove in this paper is that any connection between the
contracting authority and the economic operator is not a conflict of interest. The second thesis
is that certain connections represent a conflict of interest and it is not possible to prevent or
avoid them. They do not necessarily lead to illegal actions, but require the taking of appropriate
measures. The third thesis is that in the Croatian public procurement system there is insufficient
understanding of the development of the concept of conflict of interest, which was accompanied
by the adaptation of the legislative framework, so this paper will show that, despite the evident
change of this institute, there is no adequate treatment in practice of participants in public
procurement system.
The author will also point out the insufficient awareness of individuals in the public
procurement system about the very concept of conflict of interest and its possible consequences,
which stems from the traditional understanding of conflict of interest as a relationship that needs
to be exclusively inhibited and not recognized and properly managed in order to prevent
negative consequences and for the decision made and for the individuals involved, the
consequences of which are also separately analyzed in this paper.
The goal of this work is to detect those types of connections that lead to conflicts of interest
and to identify appropriate preventive and mitigation measures for managing such situations
through a new model of conflict of interest management in public procurement in Republic of
Croatia that will be presented as a key scientific contribution of this work |
