ASSORUP’s institutional mission took place today in Brussels, a pivotal appointment for the European recognition of the role of Project Managers (Responsabili Unici del Progetto, RUP). The delegation, led by President Daniele Ricciardi, included Federica Perrotta (Head of Secretariat and Development), Federica Menegoni (Head of Communication and Training), and representatives of the Consorzio Leonardo Servizi e Lavori, Gino Giuntini and Antonella Mati.
Meetings at the European Parliament
The day opened with two political meetings at the European Parliament. The first, with MEP Dario Nardella, launched a discussion on the need to build a European network to support the ASSORUP project, promoting the sharing of good practices and the recognition of RUPs as a strategic figure in the management of public procurement. The second meeting, with Salvatore De Meo, addressed incentives and guarantees to be recognized for RUPs, underlining the urgency of introducing appropriate benefits and safeguards for those operating with responsibility within public administration.
Dialogue with the European Commission
In the afternoon, the delegation was received at the European Commission by Henning Ehrenstein, Director of the Public Procurement Unit at DG GROW, and his Deputy. The meeting highlighted strong interest from the Commission in the proposals advanced by ASSORUP, particularly regarding specialized training, the definition of professional competencies, and the adoption of European instruments
such as the ProcurCompEU framework.
Key Proposals
- European qualification and certification framework: mandatory training, modular certification levels, professional registers, and a “points-based license”.
- European Procurement Manager (EPM): a certified professional responsible for the entire contract lifecycle, with cross-cutting skills in sustainability, cybersecurity, data protection, social inclusion, and energy management.
- Economic incentives and insurance coverage: financed by dedicated funds, rewarding measurable performance and supporting continuous training.
- Common European procurement culture: shared training materials and interoperable competencies to transform procurement into a strategic lever for competitiveness and resilience.
Outcome
Today’s mission marked an important step toward structured dialogue with European institutions. ASSORUP will continue to work to
give voice to RUPs and to build a public procurement system that is more efficient, transparent, and quality-oriented.
Download the Documents
Drafted with the fundamental contribution of Francesco Guerriero and Niccolò Grassi, ASSORUP lecturers, and Claudio Galtieri, President of the Technical-Scientific Committee.
