Phnom Penh, 22 January 2025 - Today, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Igor Driesmans and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Finance (MEF), H.E. Dr. Aun Pornmoniroth co-hosted a workshop, bringing together around 200 stakeholders, including government officials, private sector representatives, and international partners, to explore the implementation of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP). Participants discussed how public buyers could leverage their purchasing power to drive positive change and promote more sustainable goods and services.

Ambassador Driesmans emphasized that enhancing sustainability of goods and services is essential to protect the environment, save energy and fight the impacts of climate change. In light of Cambodia’s upcoming graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, increased sustainability will play a key role for access to the EU market which has supported economic development in Cambodia for many years. He noted:

“Our discussions on SPP are linked to two key aspects of the EU’s cooperation with Cambodia: public finance management and sustainable development. High-quality procurement and construction are also facilitated by Eurocodes, i.e. European standards for a common approach for the design of buildings and other civil engineering works and construction products. Good building standards can make buildings greener and more resilient to withstand the effects of climate change.”

The event also featured a panel discussion on EU and Cambodian experiences in sustainability policy, public financial systems, market transformation through SPP and transparency, with participation from the MEF, MoE, the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce and Eurocham.

About EU’s support for Public Financial Management in Cambodia

• The EU has supported the Public Financial Management (PFM) Reform of the Royal Government of Cambodia since 2006. The current support is channelled via the “EU-Cambodia Partnership for Public Financial Management Reforms 2022-2028”, focusing on reforms of the management of public funds, promoting a progressively more accountable, transparent and efficient use of public funds.
• The EU also provides technical assistance to the Royal Government on request and promotes institutional twinning between Cambodian institutions and EU Member States institutions, including in Statistics, Education and - as of 2025 - on Taxation. Technical support has included cooperation on drafting the 2023 Public Procurement Law which introduced the concept of Sustainable Public Procurement in Cambodia’s legislation.