PPP and investment law

European Union: PPP and investment law

The laws that govern PPP and concessions, investment guarantees, dispute settlement and legal terms, with links to the official texts.

Checked on October 23, 2026Information, not legal advice

In brief

Two EU directives set common rules for concessions and public contracts in all 27 member states: competitive and transparent procedures, transfer of operating risk in concessions, and remedies for bidders. National PPP laws implement them, so contracting authority, economic operator and concessionaire form the shared vocabulary in Europe and in EU-aligned Ukraine.

PPP and concession law

In force

Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the award of concession contracts

English title: Concessions Directive

Number / reference: 2014/23/EU
Adopted: February 26, 2014
Official publication: OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, pp. 1–64

Common rules for awarding concession contracts. A concessionaire is the economic operator awarded a concession; contracting authorities are state, regional or local authorities and bodies governed by public law. Member states have transposed it, for example Poland, Germany (KonzVgV), Spain (LCSP) and Austria.

Official text (opens in a new tab)

In force

Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC

English title: Public Procurement Directive

Number / reference: 2014/24/EU
Adopted: February 26, 2014
Official publication: OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, pp. 65–242

General rules for public procurement. An economic operator is any natural or legal person, public entity or group of them that offers works, products or services.

Official text (opens in a new tab)

Investment protection

We have not yet checked a separate foreign investment or investment screening law for this jurisdiction against an official source, so we do not summarise one here.

Constitutional protection of property

The constitutional property provision has not yet been checked against the official text, so we do not summarise it here.

Dispute settlement

The EU itself is not an ICSID member or a party to the New York Convention: each member state joins on its own. The EU and Euratom have withdrawn from the Energy Charter Treaty.

ICSID Convention

Not applicable: member states join individually

New York Convention (1958)

Not applicable: member states join individually

Energy Charter Treaty

Withdrawn, effective June 28, 2025

Legal terms

How the law names each party, in the original language. Useful when reading tender documents and contracts.

Public side

contracting authority
contracting entity

Private side

economic operator
concessionaireconcession

Who proposes a project

The directives do not regulate who proposes a project. This is left to national law.