Abstract

Publicity of authorities’ activities is a key principle of Finnish public administration, defined in the Openness Act. Public authorities’ procurement data is accessible to anyone, after the contract has been signed, excluding confidential information. Nevertheless, public access to procurement documentation has been narrowed down in recent years due to developments in procurement centralization. Most Finnish CPBs are limited liability companies (bodies governed by public law), which are not required to disclose procurement documentation to third parties. Parties to procurement processes are always granted access to procurement documentation, to assess due process, however, trade secrets are not revealed. The Finnish courts and monitoring officials have access to all procurement documentation, including confidential information, which allows them to thoroughly examine the legality of procurement processes.