The first edition of the GPP Handbook was published within the framework of the project GPPnet The Green Public Procurement Network (financed by the European Commission with the LIFE Environment '02 program).
The GPP Handbook was updated and integrated in 2008.
This edition in electronic format is disseminated and translated into English in the framework of the project GPPinfoNET The Green Public Procurement Information Network (financed by the European commission with the LIFE Plus '07 program).
This handbook shows, step by step, how local authorities can introduce "environmental requirements" in the supply of goods and services at the time of purchasing.
For this purpose, the environmental criteria for 151 kinds of goods and services (drawn out from 11 European environmental labels, besides Guide Lines of competent authorities such as the American and Danish Environmental Protection Agencies) are reported here, specifying
how it is possible, through these, to purchase furniture, lamps, computers, copiers, fabrics for uniforms, means of transport, construction materials, paints and other products with a "lower
environmental impact".
This Handbook is organised in three sections: the general section mentions the main European principles in support of GPP, the methodological section illustrates the methodology used to
adopt a green public procurement policy and to introduce environmental criteria in the purchases, and finally the operational section, the most consistent, which reports on the ecological criteria" to be introduced in the technical specifications and the operational
instructions to do so.
The final goal is to make available to purchasing officers of provinces and town councils an easy to apply tool (in most cases it is sufficient to "cut and paste") to write "green tenders"
in many purchasing sectors, so as to concretely reduce the public administration's ecological footprint.
It is certainly the first, but necessary step, for public administrations that do not limit themselves to 'preach', but have instead the intention to really modify their own behaviour by taking into account their environmental and social impliestions.

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