THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the award of concession contracts [OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 1.], and in particular Article 9(4), second subparagraph thereof,

Whereas:

(1) By Decision 2014/115/EU [Council Decision 2014/115/EU of 2 December 2013 on the conclusion of the Protocol Amending the Agreement on Government Procurement (OJ L 68, 7.3.2014, p. 1).], the Council approved the Protocol amending the Agreement on Government Procurement [OJ L 68, 7.3.2014, p. 2.] concluded in the framework of the World Trade Organization. The amended Agreement on Government Procurement (‘the Agreement’) is a plurilateral instrument and its purpose is to mutually open government procurement markets among its parties. The Agreement applies to any procurement contract with a value that reaches or exceeds the amounts set therein (‘thresholds’) and expressed as special drawing rights.

(2) One of the objectives of Directive 2014/23/EU is to allow the contracting entities and the contracting authorities, which apply that Directive to comply at the same time with the obligations laid down in the Agreement. To ensure that the threshold for concession set in Article 8(1) of Directive 2014/23/EU corresponds to the threshold for concessions established in the Agreement it is necessary to revise the threshold set out in that Directive.