CORRUPTION IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT: DO WE NEED A NEW RESEARCH MODEL FOR CROATIA?

Abstract

U radu se ispituju korupcijski rizici u javnoj nabavi u Hrvatskoj. Istraživanje je motivirano dilemom koliko je EU članstvo doprinijelo suzbijanju korupcije u javnoj nabavi budući da suzbijanje korupcije u Hrvatskoj otkako je članica EU pada u drugi plan, a interes za javne nabave raste u kontekstu ekonomskih neravnoteža i nove europske regulative. Cilj analize je postaviti okvir za istraživanja korupcije u javnoj nabavi u Hrvatskoj. Pregledom relevantne literature i postojećih istraživanja utvrđeno je da njihov fokus ne odgovara specifičnostima javnih nabava u Hrvatskoj. U radu se iznose argumenti da načela javne nabave i EU regulativa nisu dovoljno jamstvo za suzbijanje specifičnih korupcijskih rizika u Hrvatskoj. Formalni propisi u prilog ekonomski najpovoljnije ponude, centralizirane nabave ili e-nabave neće dokinuti zloporabe u sustavu javnih nabava. Zaključno se potvrđuje potreba za novim modelom istraživanja korupcije u javnoj nabavi koji će uvažiti specifičnosti primjene u hrvatskom kontekstu. Rad uz preporuke politike donosi smjernice za buduća istraživanja.The paper examines corruption risks in public procurement in Croatia. The study was motivated by the dilemma of how EU membership contributed to fighting corruption in public procurement in Croatia since the anti-corruption momentum after joining the EU was lost, while there is a growing interest in public procurement in the context of economic imbalances and the new EU regulations on public procurement. The objective of the analysis is to establish a new research framework to assess corruption in public procurement in Croatia. A review of relevant literature and existing research indicate that their focus does not match the particularities of public procurement in Croatia. In the paper we argue that an effective suppression of specific corruption risks in Croatia is not guaranteed by the principles of public procurement and EU regulations. The misuse in the system of public procurement will not be eliminated by formal regulations in favour of the most economically advantageous offer, centralized procurement, and e-procurement. In conclusion, findings confirm the need for a new model of research of corruption in public procurement, which would take into account the specifics of implementation in Croatian context. The paper offers policy recommendations and provides lines for future research