Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) in Italy: A Technical Approach

The Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) are the environmental requirements defined for the various phases of the purchasing process, aimed at identifying the best design solution, product, or service from an environmental perspective throughout its lifecycle.

Objectives of CAM

The main objective of CAM is to guide Public Administrations towards rationalizing consumption and purchases by providing guidance to identify better design solutions, products, or services from an environmental perspective.

Applicability of CAM

CAM is defined within the scope of what is established by the Plan for the environmental sustainability of consumption in the public administration sector and is adopted by Decree of the Ministry of Ecological Transition. In Italy, the effectiveness of CAM has been ensured thanks to art. 18 of Law 221/2015 and, subsequently, to art. 34 on "Criteria of energy and environmental sustainability" of the D.Lgs. 50/2016 "Public Procurement Code" (amended by D.Lgs 56/2017 ), which have made its application mandatory for all contracting authorities.

Utility of CAM

The systematic and homogeneous application of CAM allows for the spread of environmental technologies and environmentally preferable products and has a leverage effect on the market, inducing less virtuous economic operators to adapt to the new requests of the public administration. This obligation ensures that the national policy on green public procurement is impactful not only in reducing environmental impacts, but also in promoting more sustainable production and consumption models, "circular" and in spreading "green" employment.