Are social and environmental clauses a tool for favoritism? Analysis of French public procurement contracts

François Maréchal and Pierre-Henri Morand

European Journal of Political Economy, 2022, vol. 73, issue C

Abstract: This article analyzes the use of social and environmental clauses in public procurement contracts. After describing the current French legal context, it shows how a mechanism design approach can explain the factors that theoretically justify such practices, potentially including favoritism and rent-seeking. An empirical analysis is then carried out on the French public procurement data set for the year 2017. It illustrates the weight of political preferences in the choice to resort to social clauses and the weight of the preferences of the local chief executive to explain the use of environmental clauses. It also highlights that social and environmental clauses do not seem to be used as a tool for favoritism.

Keywords: Public procurement; Social clauses; Environmental clauses; Favoritism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D44 D82 H57 Q01 Q28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:poleco:v:73:y:2022:i:c:s0176268021001154

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2021.102140

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