Public Procurement – ESPD Statement

The Chamber of Economy of Montenegro organized the third seminar titled “Public Procurement – ESPD Statement of the Economic Operator” on July 9, reaffirming the importance of this topic for the efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness of public procurement.

The aim was to familiarize participants with the application of the ESPD form and the use of the ESJN system, in order to facilitate participation in public procurement, increase transparency, and boost market competitiveness.

Opening the seminar, Dr. Mladen Perazić, Director of the Department for Education and Quality, emphasized that the digitalization of procedures and simplification through the ESPD are key steps toward greater competition and more rational public spending.

“Participation in public procurement is important for both institutions and businesses – more competition means better use of budget funds and a healthier market economy. With the introduction of the ESPD form, procedures have been simplified, automated, and made significantly more efficient, reducing administrative burdens and increasing bidder interest,” he stated.

Participants were introduced to the importance of the ESPD statement, which has greatly simplified public procurement procedures by replacing extensive documentation with a single standardized declaration. Special focus was placed on the practical application of the document, from both the contracting authorities’ and the bidders’ perspectives.

Gorana Mrvaljević, Head of the Directorate for Monitoring Public Procurement Procedures and Managing Electronic Public Procurement at the Ministry of Finance, who has over 20 years of experience in this field, spoke more about this topic. She holds a master’s degree and is a certified trainer in public procurement, coordinator of the Project for the Introduction of the Electronic Public Procurement System in Montenegro, and administrator of CEJN.

In her presentation, she emphasized the importance of public procurement in the process of European integration and the overall development of efficient administration.

“The opening of Chapter 5 – Public Procurement represents a key indicator of Montenegro’s progress towards EU membership, as it directly affects transparency, responsible management of public funds, and the fight against corruption,” she said.

One of the most important breakthroughs in this field, as she emphasized, is the introduction of the Centralized Electronic Public Procurement System – CEJN, which enables complete digitalization of the process – from planning to reporting. CEJN currently has around 14,000 users, of whom nearly 4,800 are active bidders. This system ensures full transparency of procedures, equal access to information, as well as independent control over the application of legal procedures.

She particularly focused on the analysis of the ESPD declaration – a standardized electronic form that has replaced much of the traditional paperwork. The ESPD allows bidders to confirm the fulfillment of conditions through a single declaration, which has significantly simplified participation in public procurement.

“The electronic public procurement system and the ESPD declaration are not just technical solutions – they are key tools for creating a fair, competitive, and open market where all participants are equal,” said Mrvaljević.

Through practical examples, she presented in detail to the participants how the ESPD declaration is created and used within the CEJN system – from the perspective of contracting authorities and bidders, including the most common challenges and recommendations from practice.

“With continuous improvement of the electronic system and user education, we are building a more transparent, simpler, and fairer public procurement system aligned with European principles and standards,” concluded Mrvaljević.